A Date with my Best Friend's Sister(s)
by blissfulnightrain
Summary: Everyone's busy this Saturday night, except Riku. The girl he's been seeing, Sora's sister, is stuck babysitting. Looks like it's going to be a night alone. That is, until Sora comes up with a suggestion:"Just go to my house and surprise her...Maybe pick up some flowers or something for her on the way. Girls love that romantic crap. I'm sure my sister does, too!" AUish/Riku POV.
1. Star Theory

**Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Square-Enix/Disney; Final Fantasy series belongs to Square-Enix.**

* * *

What a boring day.

It's five o'clock in the afternoon on a summer vacation Saturday. I've done nothing but wake up and eat so far, and I have absolutely no plans for the day or night. None.

I texted _her_ a couple of minutes ago. "_U busy tonight?_" No response, yet, though. I'm just lying around on top of my bed, phone in hand, waiting for an answer.

About a year ago, it would have been a sure-fire thing that I'd hit up my best friends Sora and Kairi to chill. We'd go out to the movies, grub it up at some restaurants, fool around on the beach—you know, all that kinda stuff. Of course, that all changed when Sora finally grew a pair and asked Kairi out. He'd been crushing on her since he was like, five, and it only took the sap _twelve years_ to actually man up and tell the girl how he felt. It's not like Kairi's faultless in the scenario either. It was pretty obvious she liked him, too for the majority of the time, but she didn't really do anything about it either. Still, it was fun being able to poke fun at them—well, mostly Sora—and putting them in awkward situations where they'd get scared of the other finding out their true feelings. Now that everything's out on the table, though, I've come to learn that being the official third wheel isn't exactly..._fun._Actually, it could get downright awkward at times. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm genuinely happy for the two of them, but I do miss the good ol' times. Hm, if plan A doesn't work out, _they_ could be a plan B.

My phone starts vibrating in my hand. Looks like she's replied. I open it up to find one of her signature, ridiculously long, perfectly punctuated text messages. Let's see how much I have to read through to find out what her answer is.

"_Hey! I'm so glad you hit me up but...I unfortunately won't be able to hang out tonight! :( Mom and Dad are headed to some corporation dinner and Sora's going out with Kairi tonight, so I have to stay home and babysit Haru. We definitely need to go out soon though!"_

Dammit. Babysitting again? And there goes plan A _and_ plan B.

"_well you suck_" is what my text to her brother says.

"_what I do :(_" Sora replies almost instantaneously.

I contemplate for a moment how to reply. "_take your kid sister out with you tonight so i can have my fun" _sounds good enough. To be totally honest, I can completely see Sora taking little five year-old Haru out on his date and having a ball. The two of them have the exact same personality, and Kairi loves the girl to bits. Heh, this actually could be perfect.

Before I can hit 'send,' the phone starts ringing. **Incoming Call: Sora**.

I pick it up, but before I can say anything, he starts:

"Riku? Buddy, everything okay? Did I do something wrong?" he panics.

I snort at the worry in his voice. "Everything, Sora. You've done everything wrong," I reply sarcastically. I can hear him sigh in relief and chuckle a little.

"Alright, alright so you're messing with me. But you did sound a little ticked in that text you sent me. Something the matter?"

"It's really not that big a deal. I was hoping to take Amaya out tonight, but you and Kairi kind of put a damper on that. Just like _last_ night."

"Oh, damn, sorry man!" he apologizes. "You know, I would have offered to take Haru out tonight, but...tonight might be _the_ night, you know?" He's starting to sound a little flustered.

"_The _night?" I ask. I know where he's going with this, but giving him shit for actually telling me everything and listening to him freak out about it is just so much more fun.

"W-well, you know," he starts, all nervous, "Kairi and I...have been taking it kinda slow and all, and...well, _you know._"

"So, you're finally gonna try to round home plate tonight?" There's no reply, but I can picture him, nodding his head with some kind of over-the-top serious-but-borderline-goofy expression. "Pfft, took you a _year_?"

"Well, it's not like it's easy, being with the freaking _mayor's_ daughter! I mean, he's one of the nicest people _ever_, but I guess there's a switch or something that flipped on his...dark side, once Kairi and I started going out. He interrogates me before and after every date, is really strict about curfew, and I'm pretty sure he sends, like, henchmen, or something, to spy on us. It hasn't been really possible to go and...well, _you know._"

"Know _what, _Sora?" I smirk. He ignores me, and continues on.

"So, like, I know you guys couldn't go out last night 'cause we had pretty much the same situation, but there _is_ a difference this time! The mayor's gonna be at that conference corporation dinner thing that my mom and dad are going to, which means he'll be occupied—for the first time ever on a day the two of us went on a date, might I add—which means: no curfew!"

"Yeah, but what about the henchmen?" I point out the hole in his plan.

"Well, Kairi says I'm just imagining things, so...I just guess we'll see how it goes, huh?"

"Good luck with that, Sora," I scoff. Forget the conversation right now, I'm just waiting for the stories I'm gonna hear tomorrow.

"Hey, at least I'm _probably_ getting...well, _you know_, tonight." I can picture the stupid smirk on his face right now. And I know exactly how to wipe it off.

"Do you really want to have this conversation while I'm dating _your sister_?"

"R-Riku! What the hell?!" he yells. "It's only been like, three weeks! And she's. My. Sister. Don't _even_."

"Sora, calm down, I'm joking." I admit, it _is_ a low blow, but hearing him so flabbergasted is always hilarious. "Like you said, it's been like, three weeks. And even in that span of time, it's not like we've been able to hang out that much. We've both been busy, with classes just ending and all. Like I told you before, college finals are _not_ exactly a walk in the park."

"Well, do you really like her?" he inquires. His question catches me off guard.

"…hmm, well—" I start, but Sora cuts me off.

"Wait, hold that thought, Riku! Kairi's on the other line, I'll call right back!" And he hastily hangs up on me. Alright, then.

Still, his question does start to bother me. One would think I'd be sure of my feelings for this girl, Amaya, since I've known her my whole life. After all, she _is_ my best friend's sister. I would see her all the time: at their house, on the play island, and besides this past year, we'd always been in the same classes at school. And yeah, sure, I always thought she was kinda cute-looking; I mean, wouldn't have agreed to go out with her now if I didn't, right? But I never really went up and to get to _know_ her. She'd always be doing her own thing while I'd be doing mine, while we'd be hanging out with our own groups of friends, and just rarely interacting in general. Plus, I always felt she was off-limits with the whole bro-code thing, although Sora does constantly reassure me that he's cool with it.

The first time I _really_ got a chance to sit down and talk to her as we got to know each other was the first time we went out for dinner…

* * *

It's our second date. Our first, we've decided, was when I actually (and admittedly, awkwardly) asked her out at the Island Festival, much to Sora and Kairi's delight. Even though this is our first time hanging out alone, we came to a decision that the awkwardness level might go down if we rebrand the title of this event.

We sit across each other at a table at The Hidden Dragon, a local Chinese food joint. The place has dark walls and red and yellow decorations; it sort of gives the feel of a fire-lit cave. Pendant lights dangle above every table, providing some dim lighting. It's a busy night, with waiters and waitresses scrambling to serve the full house. We've been here a good fifteen minutes, waiting for someone to come take our order. I'm drumming my fingers on the black table, waiting for someone to come take our order. I know what I'm getting. She's got one of her elbows on the table, her head resting in her hand. Her other hand's on the menu, while she squints at it trying to decide what she wants. She doesn't exactly blow me away like she did the day I asked her out, but she's still pleasant to look at.

"Hmm, what are you getting?" she asks, looking up at me.

"Shrimp lo mein, crab rangoons, and kung pao chicken" I reply.

"Damn, you can eat a lot," she giggles. "I can't decide between orange and sweet-and-sour chicken."

"Eenie meenie miney mo?" I suggest, shrugging. She smiles and immediately looks back down at her menu, quickly moving her index finger between the two options. I watch her lips move while mouthing the words to the poem, as they pout and look twice their size as they meet to pronounce every "m" and "b," and spread into what looks like a smile every time she elongates the vowels.

"Sorry it took so long! Are you guys ready to order?" an energetic female voice interrupts. She sounds familiar, and when I look up, I know exactly who she is.

"Hey, Selphie!" Amaya greets.

"Oh my gosh! Amaya! Riku! How are you guys?!" she exclaims.

"Not bad," I reply. "Didn't know you worked here."

"Yup! It's my part-time job! It's fun here, although nights like this can get a little stressful."

"Well, hopefully there's free food for you to take home at the end of this," says Amaya.

"Yeah, that's always true!" Selphie beams. The huge grin on her face quickly disappears as her jaw drops. "Wait, are you guys, like, _together_?!" Before I can answer in the negative, Amaya starts shaking her head.

"Nah, we're just hanging out tonight."

"Oh, okay," she replies. She has a suspicious tone in her voice, but her smile returns. "Anyway, like I said, busy night! I'd love to stand by and chat, but I should really get your guys' order and go!"

I nod my head in understanding, and give her my order. Amaya tells her the winner of eenie-meenie-miney-mo, and Selphie notes it all down quickly and runs off to give it in to the kitchen. We try to make small talk while we wait for the food to arrive, but we're not exactly sure what to chat about. We start off, quite originally, with the weather. The weather leads us to talking about the bad storm the other day which made the walk to the college totally-not-fun, which then leads us to discussing our classes. Both of us are still completely undecided with what we want to pursue, so we just end up comparing classes and professors. We go on until the food finally comes up, and the eating commences immediately. Throughout the meal, we comment on our food. ("This chicken is _soo_ good! Riku, how's your food?" "Not bad. The lo mein is probably the best out of the three.") You know, the generic stuff.

The basic banter continues 'til we finish up our food. We wait for Selphie to come clean up our table, and discuss whether or not we we're going to get dessert.

"A good meal isn't complete without dessert," I say.

"Hmm, true…but I feel bad that you're spending so much!" she replies.

"Nah, don't worry about it. Things like this are what I save up for," I shrug. She smiles and picks up the little menu tucked beside the napkin dispenser.

It's not long before Selphie arrives again to mop up the table and take our dessert orders. Coconut ice cream for her, steamed sponge cake for me. As we wait for her to come back again, Amaya starts talking about some book she's been reading. Something about a bunch of friends who get split up when their kingdom is attacked. I can tell she's absolutely in love with the tale by the way her green eyes light up while she speaks quickly and enthusiastically. I just nod my head in agreement every time she asks "Right?" or "Don't you agree?" or anything else along those lines. Everything else she says goes in one ear and out the other.

My mind starts to wander and I begin to think about all the other things going on right now. _Finals are coming up in two weeks, gotta study for those. Maybe she and I can study together. But will we actually get any studying done, or are we gonna get caught up in…_other_ activities? That doesn't sound so bad…but then again, I _do_ need to do really well on these exams, so maybe things like that'll have to wait and—_

I'm interrupted when a curled up napkin hits my face.

"Riku, are you even paying attention?" she sighs.

"Sorry, I totally zoned out," I replied, honestly. Instead of getting angry, though, she cocks her head to the side and smirks. The dimple on her right cheek stands out.

"Alright, then, so what do _you_ want to talk about?" she inquires, arms crossed. I'm a little surprised. Most girls I've dated usually don't notice that I don't pay attention to what they're saying, and the few that have start lecturing me about how "totally rude" I'm being. One girl, Claire, threw her soda in my face and just stormed out. Compared to that fiasco, this certainly is a nice change of pace.

"Hmm," I start. I notice the window at the back of the restaurant, several tables behind her. The sky is surely clear tonight; _that_ sparks an idea. "What's your theory on stars?"

"Stars?" She looks slightly taken aback by the complete change in the direction of this conversation, but after taking a moment to ponder, she gives me her answer:"Mm, well, from what I've learned, they're all like our sun: balls of high energy, gas, and heat that burn bright and are held together by their own gravity, in a nutshell. They just look so much smaller 'cause they're so much further away. Although, it's not like the sun is anywhere near close to us, either; it's about ninety-three million miles away."

"Yeah, but…all of that is technically a hypothesis, right? It's not like anyone's actually gone to visit another star before."

"What're you trying to get at?"

"Well…ever think there could be other people, or worlds, on those stars? I mean, our world is just so…small. There's no way that we're all the life that there is, out here."

She pauses before responding, hand stroking her chin and her brow furrowed. "You know, I never thought of it that way before…"

* * *

The phone starts ringing in my hand again. "Took you long enough," I say as I pick up.

"Sorry, Riku, Kairi just wanted to make sure that everything was all set for tonight," Sora replies. I sense a nervous tone in his voice.

"Don't screw up," I smirk.

"We'll be _just_ fine," he scoffs.

"Not going to tell me any of your plans?"

"And have _you_ show up and ruin everything? Hell, no!"

"Sora, you really think I have nothing better to do than to show up on your date and watch you and Kairi go at it?"

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"Gee, thanks," I sneer.

"You know I'm kidding, buddy! But, anyway, you still owe me an answer to a certain question I asked!"

"Oh, well…" I begin again.

* * *

We've just finished up at The Hidden Dragon, and I'm accompanying Amaya home. She strides with her arms crossed across her body, head held up as she looks up at the sky. I walk with my hands in my pockets, eyes ahead, glancing at her every once in a while we converse. Ever since I brought up the "Star Theory," we've been chatting up a storm. We've discussed what we might do if we somehow wound up on another world (I really don't know, I haven't really thought about it; she says she'd love to explore and learn about the cultures and meet new people), as well as come up with theories about why the worlds have been separated (she thinks they might all be alternate universes, while I think they just might be smaller pieces of a bigger, giant world). We fall silent for a bit, until she breaks it:

"Alright, so I've gotta ask, what exactly inspired this theory of yours?" she questions.

"Well, a couple of things, actually," I begin. "The first time I got the idea was from a story my dad told me. It's more like a legend, but…I don't know, it's suspicious."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I must have been five or six. It was after dinner one night. I was looking out the window in our living room, admiring the stars. Dad noticed, and asked me what I was thinking about. I told him I was wondering why exactly they were up there, in the sky. He took a second, and then began to tell me a story his father used to tell him." I look over at her, and notice her peeking up at me, eyes peering curiously.

"And?" she inquires eagerly.

"Okay, so apparently my grandpa knew this really weird kid on the island. He was really introverted and didn't have many friends. A lot of the time, people would just see him standing on the shore at night, looking up at the stars. Grandpa was a friendly fellow, and I guess he kinda felt bad for the guy, always by himself. One night, he approached him and started chatting him up. The guy wasn't really that responsive to small talk, but he perked up when prodded about his fixation with the stars. He said something about this world being 'too small' and that there must be some sort of way to travel to others. Strange, right? But see, here's the crazy thing. A couple of weeks later, the kid disappeared completely. Vanished into thin air. Gone."

"That's impossible, though!" she blurts. "Everyone who disappears turns up eventually. The world is—"

"Too small," I complete her train of thought. "I know."

"So…are you trying to insinuate that he must have actually left the island and gone to another world?"

"Well, yeah. Like you pointed out, everyone else who's ever disappeared has always turned back up. Every kid that's run away has turned up on one of the surrounding islets, and anyone who's ever been murdered has had their body found eventually—whether they were buried somewhere, or they wash up on the shore from being dumped in the ocean. There really isn't any place you can hide anything, or anyone, forever here. Unless there's some part of this island that hasn't been touched over the past, like, seventy years or something, which I highly doubt, there's no way he's still here. Someone would have found him."

"Hmm…alright, then." She ponders over what I've said for a moment. The expression on her face suggests that she deems what I've said so far plausible. "And, what was the other piece of inspiration?"

"Well, this kinda goes back to everything washing back up on shore—whether it be a dead body, or even a pair of sandals you accidentally lost as a kid. It might take a few years, but eventually, it always comes back here, right?" I glance over at her, and see her nod in the affirmative. "So, one time, I was talking to Tidus back in high school. He told me that one time, he and a couple of friends went out in their boats to try and see how far they could go. Apparently, they got to a point out in the ocean where they just couldn't go any further, like there was some sort of barrier preventing them from going forward. They ended up having to turn back around."

"Yeah, but, knowing Tidus, I would just think he got lazy or hungry, didn't prepare well enough, and turn back around," she shrugged.

"That's what I thought, too, at first. But then, it clicked. The reason everything comes back is because—"

"There's nowhere else for it to go!" she gasps, as she pumps her fist into the palm of her other open hand. "Riku, that's…wow, that's actually _really_ interesting!"

"I know," I declare, smiling.

We walk the rest of the way back to her house—about five minutes, or so—in complete silence. But, it's not awkward. As I peer over at her, I see her making the same expression as when I first brought up my theory to her. I can tell she's brooding over everything I've just said. It makes me glad; I haven't had a serious conversation about this with anyone in a really long time. Sora, as well as anyone else I ever talked to this about, usually stared at me like I was crazy. This time, however, has been different.

As we approach her home, she begins to speak again.

"There still is one big hole in your reasoning, though…" she begins.

"Oh?"

"Well, you say this guy who disappeared must have gone to another world, right? But, how could he have done that if there's some barrier that's supposedly blocking off the "gates" between them?"

I scratch the back of my head in thought. "Well, that's what I'm still trying to figure out." I watch her lips curl up while she looks up at the sky, pensively.

"You know," she begins, as we finally come to a stop in front of her house, "maybe you should take up astronomy for your major."

"What?" I chuckle, slightly surprised by her sudden suggestion. She turns around to look me in the eye, and continues:

"You're not the easiest person to read, but," she confesses, "I mean, the way your eyes lit up when you were talking about this stuff…I can tell it's really important to you. What better career path for you is there than one where you can just spend all your time, discovering things about the stars and doing what you clearly seem to love?"

"…that really isn't a bad idea," I consider aloud. I then take a good look at her, as she stands facing me, back towards the house.

"Definitely think about it!" she says. I nod, and as I do so I find myself staring at her lips. Do I seal the date with a kiss, or not? Before I can even make my decision, we're interrupted by the sound of a door flying open.

"You guys are back!" Sora calls out, as he runs out onto the front porch of the house. "Well, how'd it go?!"

"Great, and then you showed up," I reply, rolling my eyes at him. Amaya giggles while Sora pouts.

"Have you been staring outside the window, waiting for us to come back?" she prods.

"Well, yeah! I wanna hear all about it! How was it?!"

Amaya shakes her head lightheartedly, and turns towards me."Honestly, I really did enjoy our walk home. Dinner was great, too. Thank you so much, for everything," she assures. She leans in towards me and tip-toes to give me gentle peck on my cheek, before she turns around to go into her house. Sora holds the door open for her, face beaming.

"Should I text you?" I inquire, raising my voice so she can hear me as she steps inside. She turns around and nods in the affirmative.

"Good night, Riku," she says, waving at me. She retreats into the house.

"Night, bro!" Sora howls. I give him a nod as he follows her inside and closes the door behind them.

"Night," I mumble. I find myself touching my face where she kissed me. Her lips sure were soft, but…

What's this sticky shit?

I look down at my hand to find my fingertips covered in the same rosy hue that tinted her lips.

Sticky Lipstick: Destroyer of all Good Kisses. I feel myself scowling as I turn around to walk home, but then I let out a sigh.

Well, it's definitely been a lot worse.

Actually, tonight...wasn't too bad at all.

* * *

"Earth to RIKU," Sora yells, snapping me back into the present.

"Sorry, I was just thinking," I reply. "You know, she's a pretty cool girl. But, like I said before, it's only been _three weeks._"

"Well, this _is_ the longest you've been with a girl since, like, your freshman year of high school..."

I cringe when I think back to Lulu. Looking back, I don't know what even possessed me to ask her out. Sure, she was hot, but all that black stuff she used to put around her eyes put a bit of a damper on that. Maybe I was mesmerized by her huge-ass boobs, I don't know. We went out for about a month and a half, and while I began to question my decision of being with her more and more every day for that relationship, I decided to completely end it when I found out she was into freaky shit like voodoo. Every day for the month after that, though, I felt this really mysterious sharp pain in my back every time I sat down in that class we had together. She got over it when my friend Wakka asked her out, though. They're kind of a weird-ass couple, but hey, four years later, they're still going strong.

"You know, it would be _so _cool if this works out and you guys end up together!" Sora continues. "Then we'd _really_ be brothers!"

"Sora, if anything, that's going to scare me _away_ from wanting to be with your sister," I snort. I can imagine his pout right about now.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…well, if anything, my sister really is a great girl. I know you guys haven't spent a lot of time together yet and all, but Kairi and I are super optimistic about this. Oh, and," his voice suddenly turns more stern, "if you make her cry, I'll kick your ass."

I can't help it, I burst out laughing.

"Why the hell are you laughing?! I'm serious!" he exclaims, outraged while I continue to cackle. I stop when I feel my stomach start to hurt.

"Pfft, _okay_, Sora," I reply, wiping a tear from my eye. "Don't worry, bro. Like you said the day I asked her out, your sister's a smart girl. If we become a thing, great. And if it_ doesn't_ work out, I'm sure she'll understand. No tears, I promise."

"Haha, I know, I trust you, man. Anyway, I really _do_ feel bad about you having nothing to do tonight, and I was telling Kairi, and she came up with a suggestion."

"Oh?"

"Just go to my house and surprise her. I mean, yeah, she'll be busy with Haru, but it's not like the two of you can't hang out while watching her. Maybe pick up some flowers or something for her on the way. Girls love that romantic crap. I'm sure my sister does, too!"

"Good thing you know what she does and doesn't like."

"Hey, Amaya and I are close, but, it's not like she's gone out with a whole lot of guys. And I'm pretty sure she hasn't dated anyone longer than you have, so I really don't know what her preferences are when it comes to this stuff."

I ponder over what he says for a moment. I mean, hey, it's been over a week since I've been able to properly hang out with her. And who wants to get stuck just babysitting their little sister on a Saturday night? I don't really see a downside to this. "Well, why the hell not?"

"Alright! Mom and Dad are gonna leave soon, and I'm gonna head out to pick up Kairi around 6:30, so just come sometime after then!"

"Sounds like a plan. And really, good luck tonight, don't psych yourself out. Or get beat up by those enigmatic henchmen."

"I'm sure we'll be _fine_, Riku. Anyway, I gotta get ready and everything. We'll catch up later, alright? Bye!"

"Bye." I hang up the phone, get up off my bed and walk over to my closet to look for something more presentable to change into. I don't really know much about fashion, but I'm pretty sure paopu-print boxers and a Destiny Islands' High t-shirt aren't exactly date-night appropriate. I hear my phone vibrate again. **Text Message: Sora.**

"_dont 4get choclate!_" it says. I sigh.

"_its not for you"_ I reply. I'm reminded I have to respond to Amaya's message from earlier, too.

"_nah its nbd wEll ChiLl soon"_ I type. I purposely make my grammar and punctuation worse when I text her. I can picture her, rolling her eyes when she receives it. Making grammar-nazis cringe gives me some sort of sweet, unexplainable satisfaction.

Regardless, chill soon, we shall.

* * *

**A/N:**Well hello there guys~ I usually try to keep these blurbs short, so I apologize for lengthiness of this one. Hope you enjoyed this story so far! This is the first chapter of about four or five I have planned for this little romantic comedy here. Let me know what you guys think!

First things first...I'm the realest. *shot* Sorry I just had to...but for real, first thing, it IS semi-canon/AU for those who are confused. I wanted to keep this story relatively light-hearted and fun, and I felt that totallycanon!Riku would be a little too complex to actually do justice to when it came to what I intend to be a shorter fic. So yes, we are on the islands, but KH events basically never happened. Oh, and who knew DI had Chinese food?

It's my first time writing in Riku's POV-and I admit, he's been the most complicated for me to get a good feel for-so definitely let me know what you think about his characterization.

And of course, I'd love pointers on my OC Amaya here. This is my first time writing her, although this story isn't exactly headcanon, but I'm still getting a feel for her as well, so if you have any comments, questions, concerns, or even flames about her characterization thus far, bring it on! Please follow/fav/REVIEW :) More updates should be coming your way soon! Thanks for reading!


	2. The Language of Flowers

6:15 PM and I am ready to go. I check myself out in the mirror one more time—jeans, white T-shirt, and a black leather jacket are good enough for this, I decide. I mean, it's not like I'm going anywhere fancy, it's just Sora's house.

I sigh as I try to comb my hair right. I was dating this hairdresser about a year back—Lumina. It lasted a week or two. I'll admit, she kind of was a rebound girl when I was too late trying to get this _other_ girl I really liked. It was that, plus the fact that she was a little too…capricious, for my taste, that I sort of ended it. I thought we were cool, but, guess she got the last laugh. About a month ago, I went in to get my hair cut, and she just so happened to be the only person open to do it. It was once she started stroking my hair ("I've always liked how _silky_ it is…and you don't see silver hair too often!" she crooned), I knew I made a mistake. I wanted it trimmed to shoulder length, like I normally did but…well, let's just say I ended up with something much shorter and way worse than what my _mother_ used to give me at, like, five years old. It's starting to grow back, but it's still gonna take a couple months for it to be restored to its former glory.

Moral of the story: don't date crazy hairdressers.

Well, after a couple of minutes with my comb, I've decided that this is probably as good as I'm gonna look tonight. I grab my phone and wallet off my dresser, stuff 'em in my pockets, and go.

First stop: Gainsborough Flowers. I pass by it every time I head over to their house. Amaya and I walked by there the other day—that was the last time I hung out with her.

* * *

It's Thursday afternoon, and Amaya and I have just completed the last of our final exams. We ran into each other as we were leaving campus, and I offered to walk home with her. The past week and a half or so had been obnoxiously hectic, in preparation for our tests, so the two of us haven't really gotten a chance to spend any proper time together for a while.

"How'd it go for you?" she asks as we start on our way. She has a textbook clutched to her chest in her left hand, her right arm on the strap of her…I think it's called a tote bag? She uses it to carry the rest of her crap in it, anyway.

"Not too bad, I don't think," I respond, right hand in my pocket, left hand holding up the backpack I have slung over my shoulder. "I haven't found calculus to be too challenging, anyway. How 'bout you?"

"I think I did okay…but I don't wanna jinx it!"

"It was biology, right? I'm sure you did fine. That's your strongest subject, after all," I reassure her.

"I hope so…augh, thinking about it is just gonna stress me out more!" she cries, ducking her head down.

"Well, I better stay away from you if that happens, then, huh?" I retort, giving her a light bump on the head with my fist.

"Come on, I already apologized for that! Numerous times!" Her cheeks start to turn red. I can't help but snicker while remembering the incident:

It was the beginning of study period. I decided I'd spend the day studying in the school library—it was quiet, and the atmosphere was perfect to get me focused. I walked in pretty early so I could get a spot and avoid the "cubicle wars"; people were practically selling their first-borns in order to ensure they had a spot to study in the rather small space. When I entered, I saw Amaya out of the corner of my eye. Elbow on the desk, her hand held her head up, while she used her other hand to furiously scribble down some notes. Her long, black hair was tied up in a bun, so it was easy to see her face without all of it in the way. I decided to go up and say hi to her, before I found a cubby of my own to study without any distractions. I crept up behind her and gently tapped her on the shoulder, expecting her to turn around to give me a tender smile and polite hello.

Boy, was I way off-base.

My fingertips barely skimmed her shoulder when her elbow planted itself into my gut.

"It's like I told you, I get a little…_on edge_, when I'm stressed out," she confesses, head still down in shame.

"Lesson definitely learned," I chuckle, bumping her on the head again. She glances up at me, and when she sees my smirk, she starts giggling.

I think the thing that surprises me the most, though, is that this girl, one of the most cheerful, optimistic people I know, turns into…well, _that_, when faced with _exams_. I mean, she does well in school, so it's not like there was any real fear that she'd totally bomb or something. Man, I'd hate to see her freak out in some sort of real-life pressure situation.

"Still, that definitely wasn't acceptable on my part. I'm so, _so_ sorry, again," she cries. I thought it was kinda cute the first couple of times she apologized, all frazzled, but after what was probably the hundredth time, it's been starting to get a little ridiculous.

"I already _told_ you, it's really not that big of a deal," I sigh. "Besides," I perk back up, "these abs are made of steel. No way your little _elbow _could destroy 'em."

"Oh, now you're just being a tool!" she scoffs, while she playfully shoves me. She's fun when she's in this mood.

Our lighthearted banter continues, until Amaya suddenly becomes distracted.

"Ugh, it always smells so _good_ whenever I walk by here!" she states. It's when she points it out that I notice the floral aroma, and realize we're walking by the famous Gainsborough Flowers.

I notice her glancing through the large, glass windows at the front of the store. The elderly shop-owner's in there, but she seems occupied with some blonde girl. Peering further inside, I see a rather large interior, filled with tons of aisles of black shelves with tall white vases, each with its own assortment of an individual type of flower. The walls are all glass, and behind them are even more groups of flowers. The combinations of all the colors definitely make it look vibrant in there.

"Look at how _pretty_ they are," Amaya ogles.

"Is that some sort of subliminal message to try to get me to buy you a dozen roses, or something?" I smirk.

"Nah, don't waste your munny," she chuckles. "Besides," she begins, as she continues on walking, "I wouldn't want _roses_ anyway."

"What? I thought every girl would want roses," I reply, as I catch up to her. "Aren't they, like, the 'ultimate romantic gesture,' or some crap like that?"

"Well, sure, they are beautiful, and it definitely is a flattering gesture but…it's kind of unoriginal. Like, any schmoe can just go into a flower shop and ask for a dozen red roses without a second thought," she shrugs. "And of course, the girl will be flattered; we love getting little gifts like that every now and then. But, when you ask her what her favorite flower is, it usually isn't a rose. It's like…say I bought you some cake."

"I wouldn't mind some right now, actually," I smirk.

"I think we have some at home, if you'd like. Unless Sora ate it all!" she smiles.

"I'm _kidding_," I sneer, bumping her head again.

"I'm gonna get a concussion if you keep doing that," she sniggers. "But, anyway, like I was saying, hypothetically speaking, say I bought you some cake. Your favorite is lemon cake—"

"Actually, I'm a fan of Black Forest cake, myself."

"Okay, _fine_, your favorite is Black Forest cake. But say I bought you a white cake, then. Everyone can appreciate a regular white cake, right? But, if I bought you Black Forest cake, and I told you I got it for you because I knew it was your favorite, you'd appreciate it even more, right? It's the same with flowers. Sure, roses are sweet, but she'd be even happier if you bought her her favorite. It shows that you care enough to remember."

"Alright, but let's be honest here. How many guys actually ask the girl they're buying flowers for what their favorites are? What else are you supposed to do?"

"Well, then you could be just like any other guy, and buy roses without a second thought. Or, you could think of what message you're actually trying to convey with them."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you heard of what they call 'the language of flowers'?" When she sees me shaking my head, she continues: "Well, every flower represents some sort of emotion, or adjective that you associate with the person you're planning on giving it to. For example, you've got the classic red rose, which actually has quite a beautiful meaning: 'true love, stronger than any thorn,' or something along those lines, anyway. Now, as beautiful as that _is_, I find that most people don't actually contemplate that symbolism when they buy them. _Most guys_ just look at roses and say, 'hey, chicks dig roses,' shrug, and buy them. They don't actually think about what they're trying to tell the girl when they give them to her.

"Now, one thing I love about Gainsborough Flowers—one thing _everyone_ should take advantage of— is the fact that they have the meanings of all the flowers on each of their respective description cards. So, all you really need is an extra ten minutes or so to skim over the ones that you're drawn to, and pick the most appealing one."

"That's…a lot more complicated than it needs to be," I contemplate. To be honest, I think it's a little pretentious. "It's the thought that's supposed to count, right?"

"Yeah, but, knowing you put in the extra effort sure makes the present a whole lot more meaningful," she muses, as we approach her house.

"I guess that's true," I agree, as I sling my right arm around her shoulders. I sense her lean into me slightly.

"Thanks for walking me home," she says, as we come to a stop in front of her house.

"Don't mention it," I respond, as I release her. "You doin' anything tonight?"

"Yeah, a couple of the girls asked me to hang out a few days ago. Post-finals celebrations," she says, excitedly. Well, looks like I'll have to find something else to do with my night.

"Have fun tonight, then. But, not_ too_ much," I wink. She rolls her eyes at me, but she still has a grin on her face.

"I'll see you later," she says softly.

"Yeah," I say, as I lean in to kiss her good-bye. Tender and gentle as always, it lasts a few seconds before I feel her smile and pull away.

"Text me?" she asks, still beaming.

"Of course."

And with that, she turns around to go into her house. I stick around to watch her walk up the stairs and across the front porch. It's as she opens the door to step inside, I realize I need to ask her something:

"By the way, what _are_ your favorite flowers?"

She turns around, smirking. "They're—"

* * *

_Shit._

I've arrived at Gainsborough Flowers and entered the goddamn store only to forget. What kind. Of flowers. I am. Supposed. To buy.

"Hey, Riku!" a voice exclaims.

"Aren't you supposed to be on your date with Kairi, Sora?" I ask, trying to sound as casual as I can despite my aggravated state, as I turn to face him. He's got that same stupid grin he always has, and he's holding a bouquet with a bunch of really colorful flowers.

"Yeah, I'm headed over to pick her up right now! I just stopped by to get her some lilies, they're her favorite."

Oh, screw this kid.

"Something the matter, Riku? You look kinda confused," he says. Well, I can't let him know I _forgot_ what his sister's favorite flowers are.

"Well, I was gonna pick something up for Amaya but…I have _no_ idea what she likes," I reply coolly.

"Hmm…to be honest, I don't really know what her favorite is. _But_, there're these cool description cards for each kind of flower in here, which tell you what it symbolizes and stuff! Maybe you can get some sorta inspiration from those?"

No, really. Screw this kid.

"Sounds like a plan, bro," I state, nonchalantly. He's beaming, as if he's proud of giving me some revolutionary idea. I let him have his victory; he's gonna need all the confidence he can get for his night.

"You know, I'm pretty surprised you actually took my advice!"

"Huh?"

"I told you to get her flowers! I didn't really expect you to actually do it…and besides, I know she would be happy to see you, regardless. But, I'm sure she'll be even happier now!"

"R-right…" I say, scratching the back of my neck while I think. You know, he does have a point. It's not like she knows I was gonna buy her anything.

"Well, anyway, sorry to cut this short! I've got a reservation to catch and, well, this could be the most _important_ night of my life so far, so, I guess I better run, huh?" he reasons aloud, sheepishly. I can tell he's nervous. As much as I want to capitalize on as many jokes at his expense as possible, I realize he's kind of in need of some sort of moral support.

"You got this, bro," I reassure him, patting him on the shoulder. "I've told you everything you need to know. You'll be _fine_."

"Yeah, you're right, man! Alright, I'll catch ya later!" His grin returns, and he turns around to run out the door. He pulls his phone out of his pocket as he does so.

"See ya," I reply. His eyes are on his cell phone while he's checking something on it, and he crashes into this red-headed guy with weird facial tattoos who's just entered the store.

"Watch where you're going, yo!" he shouts at Sora.

"Oh, sorry, won't happen again!" Sora replies, as he stows the phone away in his pocket and continues speedily walking out the shop. The guy sticks around a couple seconds and glances over a few types of flowers, and then spins around to go outside again. Strange.

And now, I'm brought back to my previous dilemma. I mean, she _told_ me what her favorites were _two_ days ago, and I can't remember what they were. That's not gonna make me look good. But then again, I just bumped into Sora here, so if he finds out that I _didn't_ get her anything and brings it up in front of her, that's probably gonna make everything worse. Then again, he's probably going to be basking in afterglow for, like, the next _week_, and he's just gonna forget about this.

Yep. Decision made. I'll just be on my way now.

"Riku?" says someone with a silvery voice, just as I turn around to leave. Oh shit. It is not who I think it is.

I turn back around to see her. The neat, golden hair. The sparkling blue eyes. The glowing, porcelain skin. The elegant, subtle smile. The perfect posture.

It _is_ who I think it is.

"Stella," I reply, composing myself, "long time, no see." The thing that surprises me, though—more than just bumping into her out of nowhere—is the fact that my heart is still beating at a normal pace.

It's not a secret that I went out with my fair share of girls in high school. Hot, cute, fun, somber, crazy—you name a type, and I can probably come up with a girl I've dated to match. Problem is, none of them ever developed into something…special, I guess, is the word. Of course, there's no one else to blame for that but myself. I knowingly went out with all the wrong types of girls, and I never let myself get too attached to any of them. Stella's the reason why. No, she wasn't my first love or heartbreak or whatever cliché that left me mentally scarred, or anything crazy like that. She was, however, and still is, the only girl that I've had a _real_ crush on. And I've learned that I don't do well with crushes.

The first time I met Stella was when I was a freshman in high school. Sure, DI High is small in retrospect, but it was not easy navigating that place those first couple of days. I was trying to find some sort of science class, and she, somehow sensing my confusion, performed her duty as an upperclassman and came up to me to help point me in the right direction. From that one encounter, I was a goner. Sure, there are a lot of cute girls on the island. I'd even say some of them are hot. But Stella was the first girl that I found to be absolutely _beautiful._

I interacted with her several times over the years following, but I tried to avoid her as much as I could. There was one thing I couldn't stand, and that was the fact that around her, I couldn't be myself. My thoughts and speech became almost incoherent whenever she was in my vicinity; her elegance and grace pretty much casted some sort of spell on me, and I was pretty sure she thought I was a blithering idiot. She was always too polite—too kind to show it, though.

Kairi was the only one who knew about the way I felt (Sora almost caught on a couple of times, but it wasn't too hard to convince him otherwise). Girl's a _very_ keen observer of body language, and I guess she'd see my loss of composure whenever Stella was around. Oftentimes, she'd try to convince me to go up and ask Stella out, and that she might interpret my unintended dorkiness as "natural" and "cute" and other shit that apparently some chicks like. I never really believed her, especially since that crap _wasn't_ natural for me. Eventually, after about three years of it being beat into my head by my dear red-headed friend that "this girl _has_ to be the one, no one else makes you feel that way!" and other ideas along those lines, I finally decided to take her advice and came up with a plan to just go up and try to casually ask her out at the Island Festival last year. I mean, Kairi had a point. As dumb as it is, no one made me feel that way she did.

I'm pretty lucky my plan to ask her out wasn't anything too sappy or romantic, though, 'cause trying to cause some kinda scene like _that_ could have been pretty embarrassing for both of us when I found her holding this guy Noctis's hand. Apparently, the two of them had been going out for a while but kept it under wraps since their parents hated each other or something, but I assume they're fine now since the relationship is public. Regardless, I can pretty easily say that that wasn't one of the _happier_ days of my life. Actually, I'll admit, I was pretty crushed that day. Ever since then, I've pretty much avoided her.

Sora had it tougher, though, in retrospect. He destroyed the booth that served the Island's best chowders, bisques, and soups while a few of us were playing Ultimate Frisbee. Wakka threw it a little too hard and, well…they won't serve him there anymore. I say this because, at least this year's Festival, although _more_ embarrassing for me than my previously mentioned debacle, actually turned out with a much better result…

"Yeah, how have you been?" she asks, in that graceful tone, bringing me back into the present.

"Not bad, and you?" I respond, in an effortlessly cool tone.

"Great! So glad finals are over! And I just started working here a couple of days ago, it's been a lot of fun," she beams.

"Oh, that's cool." I think back to the other day when I walked by here. The shop owner _was_ talking to a blonde girl, it must have been her. It's funny, I used to pretty much have this almost sixth sense for her. I'd be able to tell she was nearby just by the sound of her footsteps. Sad, I know. But, hey, as of a couple of days ago, I actually _saw_ her and couldn't identify her. That says something, right?

"And what have you been up to? How did finals go for you?" Before I can respond, someone else cuts in.

"Riku! Honey, it's been a long time!" The voice belongs to none other than the famous Elmyra Gainsborough (or 'Aunt Elmyra,' as we all affectionately dub her), founder and long-time owner of this shop. Everyone knew her, and somehow, she remembered everyone, too. She's like everyone's third grandma, with her kind, droopy eyes and wrinkly but radiant smile; there's no way you can't feel welcome in this shop whenever she's around. "So, are we buying flowers for your mother again, dear?"

Oh, right. The only time I ever come in here is to buy Mom stuff for Mother's Day.

"Oh, not this time," I reply, trying to be as polite as I can.

"Aww, are they for Amaya? I heard you two were going out!" Stella interjects. How in the hell…? I mean, it's not that I really care that she knows; I'm just surprised. I haven't talked to this chick in over a year, and it's not like Amaya and I are big in the PDA department. "I was talking to Selphie some time a couple of weeks ago, and we saw the two of you walking together! She said something about you two dating." Oh, that explains it. Note to self: make sure Selphie is nowhere near the vicinity of any other possible first date I ever go on.

"Oh, wow, is this true, Riku?" Aunt Elmyra asks, excitedly.

"Uh, yeah, I guess—" I start.

"Oh, that is absolutely _wonderful_, dear!" she interrupts. "She comes in here sometimes with that _adorable_ little sister of hers. I believe her younger brother was in here a few moments ago, too!"

"Yeah, I bumped into him while he was headed out."

"Oh, he and that Kairi are such a beautiful couple! His sister is quite the catch, too," she winks. "Polite, intelligent, and quite pretty!" I just nod, not quite knowing how to react.

"Yeah, I hung out with her a lot at the beginning of the semester, she's really sweet!" Stella interjects. "Although, things got pretty crazy with schoolwork and stuff so I haven't seen her in a while. How did you guys get together?" Oh, screw her and those sparkly doe eyes.

Man, I _hate_ this story.

"Er…"

* * *

Waking up without an alarm clock is _nice. _First things first, gotta check my phone…10 AM? A little later than I had hoped I'd wake up, but that's not _too _bad. On a day like today, the real fun stuff doesn't start until around the afternoon, anyway, and it just gets better from there.

And, you know what? I have a feeling that something…different, I guess, is gonna happen at today's Festival.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello, hello again guys! Hope y'all are enjoying this so far...This chapter originally was gonna be a lot longer with that last flashback, but I decided to cut it into two since that was making this chapter into quite the behemoth. Hopefully that next chapter should be up soon! This also means this fic is gonna be 5-6 chapters, instead of the original 4-5 that I planned.

Lol can you spot all the Final Fantasy characters I've included? I originally wanted to use Aerith or Tifa or even Rinoa instead of Stella, but in wanting to keep this semicanon, I went with the latter (Yes I am of the belief that Rinoa's existance in KH canon is implied). I know much isn't known about her character, so I just went off the basic description Nomura's given so far. Hopefully she's somewhat IC. Same goes for the FF XIII girls; haven't played the games, just used the FF Wiki aha...hopefully it came out okay!

Again, please fav/follow/ ESPECIALLY REVIEW. good, bad, flame, let me know so i can continue/improve!

Also special shout outs to **ANP Productions **(especially for the Black Forest cake idea PLUS a future joke ;))and **mystic moogle**! Y'all gave me a ton of feedback and support and really kept me motivated to get this all banged out, I really appreciate it! PPL CHECK OUT THEIR ISH CAUSE ITS AMAZEBALLS.**  
**


	3. Island Festival, part 1: Bro Code

It's the day of the Island Festival; it's an annual event, where all the residents of the island gather on the shore of the main island and pretty much party from dawn to dusk. There're booths with games, tons of free shit, and food. Local bands come and perform on stage throughout the day, so there're lots of different kinds of music to listen to. Everyone gets decked out in their beachwear for the day and just lets go and has fun. It's a pretty great time.

It's about eleven in the morning, and I've just arrived. Most of the people here are kids in middle school and high school—independent enough to go out and fool around whenever and wherever on the island, without a worry in the world. I never thought I'd say it, but sometimes, ignorance really is bliss. Still, at least even college professors adjusted their schedules to accommodate for what is universally agreed upon as the biggest and most exciting event of the year. I used to get a lot more pumped about this and try to get here as early as possible to beat the even bigger rush that tends to happen later in the afternoon, but this year, I was not giving up a chance to sleep in, especially after all those countless all-nighters.

The weather is perfect today. Not a single cloud in the sky, and the sun shines down and illuminates the island as its light bounces off the sandy shore and reflects off of the blue ocean water. A lot of the booths are set up and ready to go. Food vendors are currently serving breakfast and brunch types of food; throughout the day, they'll switch up their menus or even switch off with other businesses to supply meals that match the context of the time of day. Man, I cannot wait for some stuffed lobster tails tonight. For now, however, a paopu smoothie and egg and cheese on a croissant will suffice. Other booths are set up with little games that you can play to win prizes, like Ring Toss, Whack-A-Moogle, Potion Bottle, and a bunch of others. Some stands also sell clothes and toys, and I'm sure there are other things, too. There are also some areas that are left wide open, so people who want to fool around and play ball games and the like but still want to be close to all the action have the option to do so. Right along the seashore, there's a huge stage set up, where all the singers and bands perform throughout the day, as well as program announcements and the annual speech towards the end of the day that comes from Kairi's dad, the mayor, followed by everyone's favorite part: the concluding fireworks show.

Speaking of Kairi, I wonder where she is. She and Sora are still only seniors in high school, so one would think that they'd have the energy to have come a couple hours earlier…

"There you are!"

I turn around to see my auburn-haired friend behind me. She's got her hair up in a ponytail, with a big white and pink flower tucked behind her ear and bangs pulled back. With the pink bikini top and that long purple skirt with slits pretty much all up her leg on both sides, I'm sure Sora's probably gonna be gloating like a dork at how…well, cute, I guess, she looks.

"Hey, Kairi," I greet.

"You're late," she retorts, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry, slept in. Don't give me that look, you're probably gonna be in the same position next year!"

"Yeah, sure," she smirks. I choose not to argue with her. This girl is one of the few people that I cannot and probably couldn't ever win an argument against, even if my life depended on it. It's a pretty admirable quality of hers when she's on your side, but just downright annoying when she's not.

"Where's Sora at?" I inquire.

"He's late, too," she sighs.

"What? And what's _his_ excuse?" Sure, Sora is one of the laziest people I know, but even _he_ perks up and gets on his A-game in order to get here as early as he can.

"When he was looking for a pair of trunks to wear, he found that all of his were cut up," she giggles. "Apparently, Haru was practicing her tailoring skills."

"Typical," I groan. Haru's a little sweetheart, but oftentimes, her shenanigans ended up just (unintentionally, on her part) messing up Sora's—and presumably the rest of her family's—plans.

"So, he went out shopping for a new pair," she explains.

"Hey, Kairi!" someone greets, with a soft-spoken, husky voice. It sounds familiar, but I can't quite place who it belongs to. I look up and—

Waist-length, thick, wavy black hair. Big, green eyes. A sun-kissed complexion. Plump, soft pink lips, turned up in an affectionate smile. And her _curves. _Damn. Who is _this_ chick? It looks like she's been chatting with Kairi for a couple of seconds, and she's turning to say something to _me…_

"Riku, Kairi!" I break my gaze from mystery girl as I turn around to see Sora running up to us. When he finally reaches us, he puts his hands on his knees and starts panting. His new plain, navy swimming trunks still have the tags attached.

"About time you got here," says Kairi, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Amaya, I thought you were gonna wait for me!" he pants, turning to mystery chi—

Amaya.

Oh shit.

I see it now: the same eye shape, the same curvature to their brows, the same skin tone, and the same way their lips curl up when they smile. This is my best friend's sister.

And _holy shit_ she's _beautiful_.

"Sorry," she replies, apologetically, "I didn't realize you were still in the store until I was about halfway here." She begins to sheepishly twirl a strand of her long hair around her finger and digs her toes in the sand. The yellow cloth of her sarong wrap is tied at her hip, and it separates as she moves her knee forward. Matching red bikini bottoms to that strappy tank top she's wearing? _Damn_.

"Well, no worries, I'm here now!" Sora exclaims, perking back up. He turns to his girlfriend, and his face instantly turns crimson red. "W-wow, Kairi, you look…wow, you look amazing!"

"Thanks," she giggles, as he continues to shamelessly gawk at her.

"Alright," starts Amaya, "I'm going to go over and catch up with some of my friends over there," she gestures towards a few girls I kind of recognize from school standing over closer to the shore. "I'll see you guys around!" she beams, as she turns to walk in their direction. Her hair bounces behind her, and the ocean breeze makes her sarong sway slightly.

"See ya, girl!" Kairi calls back. "Aww, I love your sister, Sora, _she _came up to say hi to _me_! She's such a sweetheart!" Oh, of course she is.

"Yeah, and she loves _you_, Kairi," he replies. "Honestly, you might as well move in with us, my entire family adores you."

"Yeah, try talking to my _dad_ about that," she giggles, as Sora blanches. "Alright, anyway, what should we do first?" she directs her inquiry towards the two of us.

"I don't know about you guys, but I am _starving_," replies Sora. "Since everything got so screwed up this morning, I missed breakfast!"

"Well, looks like a lot of the booths are changing over to their lunch menus," I observe.

"Hey, that means fresh food! You guys want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good," I reply. Kairi shakes her head, too.

"Alright, then, I'll be right back!" as he runs towards a booth that's in the direction of the shoreline. As I watch him jog over, _she_ comes into my line of vision one more. Something funny must have just happened; she's chuckling, with her hand over her mouth and eyes crinkling. The wind keeps blowing her hair into her face, so she uses the other hand to keep it out of the way. One of her friends offers her something to tie her hair up with, and she gracefully accepts. I don't know, I kind of like it let down like that—

"_Riku!_" Kairi yells, as she swats me on the arm.

"What's up?" I reply, hoping to come off as casual as possible.

"I _know _that look," she smirks. Shit. "Who is she?" Shit shit.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I shrug, feigning innocence. But we both know it's a ruse.

"Come on, Riku. _Stella's_ nowhere in sight, and honestly, if you were still giving her _that_ look, I'd probably smack you right now." She crosses her arms and starts tapping her foot, as she anticipates me caving in. Definitely not letting that happen this time.

Before she can say anything else, Sora returns with a huge pout on his face.

"Something the matter, Sora?" Kairi asks, sounding worried.

"Ugh, remember that soup stand I accidentally crashed into last year? I really wanted some chowder, and the girl was _just_ about to hand me my bowl, when the guy in charge came up behind her and swatted my hand away. '_No soup for you!'_ he yelled!" He throws his hands up in frustration. "Last year was _Wakka's_ fault, anyway!"

"Aww, there are plenty of other options," she says comfortingly, as she pats him on the arm.

"I know, but their chowder is so good!" he frowns.

"I'll go over and get some for you," I offer. If anything, it'll get me away from Kairi's persistent prodding.

"Really?! Yes, I'll pay you back! Riku, you're the best!"

"I know," I shrug, as I walk over to the booth. I know I'm not looking at her, but I can feel Kairi glaring daggers at me, as I've coolly avoided the situation. Really, all I have to do now is make sure that I'm not left alone with Kairi. I mean, it's not like she's gonna tell my best friend that I think his sister's…pretty. In fact, it's not like she even knows it _is_ Amaya. And she kept mum about the actual crush I had on Stella for, like, three years, so I'm pretty sure she can stay quiet about me making the decision that I find someone attractive, like, ten minutes ago.

The line's not too long. There're about five people ahead of me, so the wait shouldn't be too lengthy. Let's see, Sora wanted chowder. I'm just gonna assume shrimp chowder, since that's his favorite. Chowder's—damn, 200 munny? Yeah, that boy _better_ pay me back.

"Oh, Riku!" Dammit, _just _when my mind started wandering in other directions…

"Oh, hey there, Amaya," I greet her, rather nonchalantly. I think so, anyway.

"I meant to say hi to you earlier, when I was talking to Kairi, but when Sora got here I totally forgot!" she says, playing with that strand of hair again. It hangs loose while the rest of her hair is now up in a ponytail.

"No big deal," I reply, and I spin right back around. No way I'm going down this road again. Nope.

"What're you gonna get?" she asks, from behind me. Goddammit.

"It's for Sora, he likes shrimp chowder."

"He's making _you_ get it for him?"

"It's not that big a deal." I _could_ explain last year's dilemma, but honestly, it's probably best if I keep this conversation as short as possible.

"Aw, well, if anything, you don't have to do that! I can get it and bring it over. And then maybe lecture him on being too lazy." I hear her giggle a little at the end.

"Um, okay, sure," I say, scratching the back of my neck and definitely _not_ turning around to look at her. "Thanks," and I walk away, looking straight ahead. I mean, I feel a little bad giving in that easily—that honestly was really sweet of her to offer—but, I'd honestly rather just not deal with this kind of stuff right now and enjoy myself.

Sora looks confused when I return. "Wait, where's my chowder?" he inquires.

"Amaya was in line, too. She offered to get it," I reply. I glance over at Kairi; she's not making any subtle gestures or anything at me. Looks like she doesn't suspect a thing, yet. It's gotta stay that way.

"Oh, okay!" he grins, completely accepting the situation. "Okay, then, so after I eat, whaddaya guys wanna do?"

"Games, of course!" Kairi chimes in.

"Alright, what am I kicking your asses at first?" I smirk, as I crack my knuckles.

"Oh, get _real_, I totally beat you at Whack-A-Moogle last year!" Sora retorts.

"Yeah, 'cause the machine _stopped working_," I sneer.

"Did _not_!"

"Alright, fine, if you're so confident you won, let's see you try doing it again this year."

"_Hell _yeah! Let's do this!" he cries, pumping his fist.

"So_ra_." The voice is soft, but stern. Well, here she is again. Eyes on the ground, Riku, eyes on the ground.

"Sweet, thank you so much, Amaya, you're the _best_!" he replies.

"Well, it wasn't a big deal, but I can't believe you made Riku go get it for you," she says, firmly with a hint of concern in her tone. "I worry about you Sora, you can be a little too lazy for your own good sometimes."

"What? No, you've got it all wrong! Riku _offered_," he explains. Oh, shit, well _this_ is awkward.

"…Oh." I hear her say. I look up to glance over at her, and I can see her gaze has shifted towards me. Our eyes meet, hers wide with confusion, and I force myself to look down again.

"I thought it might be funny," I shrug. God_damn_ that was probably one of the most dumbass excuses I could have come up with. Great, now no one's talking. _This_ is awkward.

"Or, it looks like you're just lazy as _he_ is," I hear her snigger, cutting the uncomfortable silence. Damn, now _that_ was salvation if I ever experienced it. "Well, it _is_ like they say, birds of a feather do flock together." I peek up at her again; she's got this big, heart-warming smile on her face, hands on her hips. Now _those_ are hips that don't lie…wait, what? Eyes _back_ on the ground now, Riku.

"Well, Kairi did tell me that you got here pretty late today!" Sora interjects.

"Still got here before _you_ did," I smirk as I look up at him, arms crossed.

"You're _both_ hopeless," Kairi sighs.

"Alright," I hear Amaya begin, "I'll _probably_ be bumping into you guys again throughout the day! Enjoy your chowder, Sora. I'll see you around, Kairi and Riku!" Ugh she just said my _name._ Dammit, now I'm turning into some sort of fifteen year old girl—

I feel a light pressure on my side.

"Kairi, you call that a punch?" I mock, raising a brow as I look over at her.

Oh, shit.

That smirk. She knows.

"So, what's the plan of action, huh?" she asks.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," I shrug.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?!" Sora interjects, as he takes a spoonful of chowder. Looks like Amaya's gone somewhere else.

"Riku seems to have a _crush_ on a certain someone," Kairi jeers. God_dam_mit.

"What?!" he exclaims, some chowder dribbling out of his mouth. "No, way, this has _never_ happened before! Who is it!?"

"You, obviously," I scoff at him. I have the perfect distracting conversation twister in mind. I walk up to him and take his face in my hands, despite the thick, white liquid on it, and continue: "Ever since I first met you, I've always had these…feelings, I guess, for you. I know you're with Kairi now, but…I don't think I can hold them in any longer!" I shut my eyes tight and pause dramatically. "Sora, I am completely and totally in love with you!"

"R-Riku…I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner!" he cries, just as sarcastically and over-dramatically as me. "All this time, I thought you'd _never_ return the feelings I had for you, so I had to settle for _Kairi_!"

"Well, we must right this wrong!" I exclaim, pumping my fist. "Sora, let's run away together!"

"You know," Kairi starts, sighing, "the sad thing is, this actually _is_ believable."

"Aww, you know you're always gonna be my number one, Kairi," Sora reassures. He walks over to her and kisses her on the forehead. A huge grin flashes across her face.

"Gag me," I snort, rolling my eyes as I wipe the chowder on my hand on the side of Sora's trunks.

"Riku, these are _new_!" he whines, as he inspects the stain I've left.

"It'll go away when you go swimming. Also, you've still got those price tags attached on there," I observe.

"Oh, right, good catch Riku!" he replies, as he begins to yank them out.

"Sora, make sure you throw them out in an actual trash bin. Don't want to litter!" says Kairi.

"Right," he responds, as the tags come out. "Kairi, hold the chowder for me! Be right back!" He jogs over to the nearest trash can, several yards away.

"Alright, so you distracted Sora, but you can't distract _me_," Kairi interjects, as she puts the bowl of chowder on the ground. Ugh, when will she let this shit go?

"I really don't want to talk about it," I reply.

"Fine. But the last time you pulled this crap, you went out with a slew of all the wrong types of girls for _three years_, then finally grew a pair and tried to ask the girl out, only to find that she was dating some other guy while you were dawdling, and now all you have to show for all that wasted time is a shitty haircut."

"Ouch, too soon, Kairi," I wince. It was only last weekend when Lumina completely butchered my hair. Most people have been really nice about it, saying that they "like the change" and "it's always good to try something new!" I know it's all bullshit. And Sora and Kairi like to confirm that fact with some sort of insult every few hours.

"Just making my point," she shrugs.

I look over towards Sora, to make sure he's not close by enough to hear our conversation. Sure enough, it looks like he's still by the trash bin. He's chatting about something with Tidus; that should keep him occupied for a little bit.

"Alright, I'll admit, Amaya's…well, there's something I like about her, anyway," I state. "But, there _are_ a few challenges with this."

"Like what?" inquires Kairi.

"Well, there's the most basic one: She is my _best friend's_ sister. Kairi, I quote, Bro Code rule number 8: 'A bro will _never_ ever get with a bro's biological mother or sister.' You don't mess with the Bro Code."

"That is the dumbest thing ever, and I am _not_ just talking about the fact that you actually have that ridiculous set of rules _memorized_," she scoffs. "If you really like a girl, go for it."

"Kairi, I decided I was…_attracted_ to her, like, an hour or something ago. I mean, I've known her pretty much my entire life, and she's never stood out to me like that before. For all I know, she might have just done her make-up really well or something today. Tomorrow, I won't even remember any of this stuff."

"Yeah, but—" she begins, but I interrupt:

"And then there's another big problem with this. Like I mentioned before, it's Sora's sister. Forget the Bro Code for a second. Look at my track record with girls. I've broken up with a lot of them. Sure, some of them were bat-shit crazy, but there were some nice, normal girls, too. I lost interest fast, which I know, is a dumb excuse, and I don't want to do that to Amaya. I don't want to hurt her, and make Sora take sides. It's not gonna be easy for him."

"Are you done being a pessimistic bitch?" Kairi sighs, cocking an eyebrow up at me. "Like I said, the only other girl you've looked at like _that _was Stella. And you never got your chance with her, you blew that one. This is like…round 2, your chance at redemption. It's not like it's some sort of marriage proposal, you're asking her out on a _date_. Worst case scenario, knowing both of you: You guys don't find each other interesting or whatever, you call it quits. And best case: you guys actually become a thing."

Before I can respond to what she's just said, Sora returns.

"Hey, guys, rematch of Ultimate Frisbee tonight, right before the fireworks! Tidus just told me!" he exclaims.

"Sounds like a plan," I reply, coolly despite the pretty intense conversation Kairi and I had. There's definitely no way I can let Sora know about this right now. Or hopefully ever.

"Hey, Sora," says Kairi.

"What's up, Kairi?" he replies.

"Is Amaya single right now?"

OH. SHIT.

"Huh? Yeah, she's not seeing anyone right now…why?"

"I heard Tidus was interested in her," I suggest, attempting to come off as inconspicuous as possible. Sora's about to say something, but Kairi butts in:

"Har har. Very funny, Riku. No, the real reason I'm asking is because—"

I cup my hand over her mouth before she can say anything else. Gotta think fast, gotta think fast. Sora's not _too_ easy to distract—wait, what the hell is this warm, wet shit I feel on the inside of my hand? Wait, this is Kairi's mouth…shit, is that her tongue?! Nope, don't let it get to you, don't let it get to you. Damn, this is gross.

"…Riku, do _you_ like Amaya?" Sora slowly inquires. Damn. What gave it away? "I mean, you're acting pretty jumpy right now, and Kairi _did_ ask if she was single for a reason, right?" Goddammit, I hate it when this kid actually uses his logic.

I don't reply to him right away. First things first, I remove my now soaking palm from Kairi's face.

"You're _really_ unclassy for being the mayor's daughter, you know that?" I say, as I wipe my hand on her arm.

"Stop dodging the question," she smirks. I sigh. Now or never, I guess. I gotta choose my words really carefully.

"…something like that, I guess," I say.

Before he can react, Kairi grabs his arm.

"I need to talk to you for a minute. _In private_," she says, as she pulls him away.

And here I am, all by myself. With a bowl of chowder. I guess today certainly _has _been a little different, compared to the normal pace of the previous festivals I've been to. And by different, I mean downright annoying. I don't even want to think about the discussion Sora and Kairi are having right now. Or Sora's reaction to this, for that matter. Yeah, I'm just not gonna worry about that for now. Let's see, what can I do to pass the time…? I wonder if the band up right now is playing anything good right now; I haven't really paid much attention to the music so far today.

'_What is this feeling_

_ So sudden and new?'_

Are these lyrics…really being sung right now?

'_I felt the moment_

_I laid eyes on you'_

Some sort of cosmic force is seriously trying to shit on me right now…

'_My pulse is rushing_

_My head is reeling_

_My face is flushing_

_What is this feeling?'_

"Loathing. Unadulterated _loathing_," I mumble, resting my face in the palm of my hand.

Alright, music's just gonna make everything worse right now. What else…oh, right, phone games! Why didn't I think about that sooner?

I pull out my phone and open up the app for 'Flappy Chocobo,' this ridiculous new game that's impossible to get a high score in. What better way to pass the time?

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys! So...I split up the flashback even further cause it was getting super long xD. It SHOULD be over by the next chapter, but no promises. So I'm not putting a chapter limit on this.

Idk I really like this part of the story. I know it's filler, and it's becoming borderline crackfic, but I want to include Sora and Kairi as much as possible, plus it gives you a little more background on Amaya. And idk I think I'm funny, but then again that's totally up to you guys aha. Can y'all catch all the stupid references I've included?

And out of context, that Riku/Sora action is dirrrrrrrty 8D *shot*

As always let me know what you think! Fav if ya love it, follow it if ya wanna keep up and read more, and especially especially review! Keeps me motivated, and lets me know if I'm doing a good job or not.

SHOUTOUTS: **ANP Productions**(especially for that soup nazi reference) **mystic moogle** (for just being awesome) **digimichael96** (cause you one of da coolest) and **KittyKat1217** (cause everything you say makes me lol)**  
**

leave a helpful review if y'all wanna shoutout ;)


	4. Island Festival, part 2: Tension Rising

Heh, wait 'til Sora finds out I beat his high score of 25 in 'Flappy Chocobo.' Man, he'll never catch up to me at 40.

I accomplished that feat a while ago, though. Actually, it's been a good few _hours_ now, since Kairi and Sora left me. I don't even know what could possibly be taking them this long. I mean, they're pretty vanilla, so they're probably not doing anything kinky. Heck, I don't even think they've gone all the way yet. Sora won't say anything about it, but I'm pretty sure that's the case.

The festival has gotten extremely busy. There are screaming kids everywhere, loud vendors trying to pawn off their stuff, and tons of people just running around to try to get to their desired booths. Although it's been busy, I still managed to buy a little more food for myself. Sushi, lobster bisque, fish tacos, and a couple of other dishes that are currently slipping my mind…What can I say? Waiting makes one hungry. All in all, it's been a pretty dull time. Nothing really out of the ordinary. I haven't touched any of the games yet; they're not truly entertaining without Sora and Kairi, since whooping their asses is what makes it fun.

I've been walking around—Sora's chowder in hand (somehow it hasn't gotten cold…must be the Island heat, I don't know)—checking some stuff out and chatting with people I know as I bump into them. Flirted with a few girls here and there because, hey, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have a way with women. It's a gift, and a curse. But, hey, you already knew that. No one's really piqued my interest today, though. Not that anyone usually does, but now that I've (rather annoyingly) got Amaya on my mind, all the other girls are standing out to me even less than usual. It's almost déjà vu. Although, last time there was a situation like this, no one really forced the issue and tried to make anything happen. Which is why the amount of time Sora and Kairi have stretched their "minute to talk" out actually has me a little worried.

Seriously, where _are_ they?

"Riku, there you are!" I hear Sora's voice call out, as if on cue.

"Where the hell have you been?" I ask, annoyed, as I look up to face him.

"Kairi needed to talk to me, remember?" he shrugs.

"Yeah, for a minute. It's been hours, the sun's gonna set pretty soon. We haven't even done anything fun yet. And where's Kairi?" She didn't come back with him.

"Oh, well, we've come up with a plan," he explains. There's definitely some sort of mischievous twinkle in his eyes going on right now. I don't think I like where this is headed.

"A plan pertaining to _what_?" I ask, cautiously. He grabs the bowl of chowder from my hands, nonchalantly takes a huge spoonful, gulps and continues:

"Amaya likes plushies."

"…and?" He takes another spoonful of chowder, before he responds:

"If you knock out all the bottles when you play Potion Bottle, you get a plushie as a prize." He takes another gulp.

"…are you seriously suggesting that I win a girl—who, I'm pretty sure the last time I had a proper conversation with, was when were in the second grade and I needed to borrow a crayon or something—a _plushie_? That's probably the dumbest, cheesiest thing ever, Sora."

Instead of actually responding, Sora starts slurping the rest of the chowder directly from the bowl; he tilts his head back and begins to chug down the remainder. Some of it starts dribbling down his chin.

"You know, you still haven't told me where Kairi is," I say, rather impatiently, as he takes his time with that damn chowder. He finally finishes with a huge gulp, brings the bowl away from his face, and uses the back of his hand to wipe his face.

"Well, we _did_ agree that we'd hit up some games after I was done eating," he states. With that, he begins walking towards the area with all the game booths. Shady.

I don't think I like where this is going.

Regardless, I guess I'll just go with the flow and see what happens. Not like I actually even have anything better to do at this point, to be honest.

Navigating through the crowds is not an easy task. It's obnoxiously packed, with all the people walking around and exploring and whatnot. There're tons of little kids running around, too. Sure, they're cute, but they get in the way when you actually need to get somewhere, and I think trampling over them is probably not gonna be good for my reputation. Luckily, we're not too far from the game area. Or unluckily, I really don't know at this point.

"We're not too far from the Potion Bottle booth," Sora says. "Oh, there it is!" He points to a colorful booth to our left. Two girls are there, talking about something. It's when we get closer I realize that it's none other than Kairi and Amaya.

"Sora…what the _hell?_" I ask, trying to sound as calm as I can to mask my irritation. This is ridiculous. Are these two actually trying to play matchmaker right now?

"Amaya's really bad at these kinds of games," he replies, matter-of-factly. "So, Kairi's gonna convince her to go a round, and try to knock all the potion bottles down. When she misses—which she's going to—you can step in and be hero, by playing the next round and winning, and then give her the prize!"

"Sora, this isn't some shitty-ass rom-com, this is real life. And, honestly, if your sister's _base _enough to fall for me after something like that, I don't think I'd want to date her anyway," I reason.

"My sister's not _dumb_, Riku," he scoffs, and swats me on the arm. "She's one of the smartest people I know! And I'm not saying she's gonna fall in love with you like that, I'm just saying it would be…cute! Girls dig the cute act. That's why _I_ have a girlfriend and _you're_ single." He has that stupid smirk on his face.

"Have you even thought this through?" I sigh, ignoring his quip. "I mean, this is your sister. You know my history with girls. And you and I are best friends. Something like this might come between _us_ in the future."

"Sure, you've had a rough time with girls in the past, but you're not a total asshole, Riku," he reassures. I feel _so_ much better. Yes, that was sarcasm. "And like I said before, my sister's smart. You're pretty smart. If it works out, great, and if not, it won't be the end of the world for you guys. You'll move on. You'll both understand. If anything, she won't try getting her vengeance on you by giving you some really crappy haircut."

"Can we please stop talking about the hair?" I cringe. "Anyway, I still don't think this is a very good idea."

"Well, think about it. You, me and Kairi don't really hang out the same way we used to, after I asked her out. We feel bad, making you feel like a third wheel sometimes," he reasons. Okay, fine, I'll admit, he has a point. Things do get awkward at times.

"I'll admit," he continues, "I was hesitant when Kairi came up with the suggestion. But, after talking it out with her, she has a point. You guys are two of the most important people to me in the world, so of course I'm scared that it won't work out. But at the same time, if it does—and I really think that there's a great chance it _will_—then, hey, two of my favorite people in the world end up together! There's nothing that would make me happier."

I'm taken aback, to be honest. I don't know, I feel like…with Sora's blessings, maybe it _is_ okay to give it a try. But I'm still a little iffy. I mean, if I go for it, it means I can't go in with a one-and-done mentality. I have to go in with a looking-for-commitment mindset. Am I really ready for that?

"If anything, just…get to _know_ her a little bit today, before you decide to ask her out. It'll make everything easier!" he says, reassuringly. Damn, does he read minds, now, too?

"…I'll think about it."

"Sora! Riku!" Kairi calls out.

"Coming, Kairi!" Sora responds, and he proceeds to run towards the booth. Well, I can't really just walk away now. Damn, there's gotta be some way to get myself out of this stupid plan these two have come up with.

I really need new friends.

I approach the stand. It looks like the three are arguing about something; it doesn't seem serious, but they _are_ bickering.

"Come _on_, Amaya, don't be so unconfident!" whines Kairi.

"It's not about confidence," Amaya giggles. Ugh, that smile, though. Is that a dimple? "It's self-awareness. I'm not wasting ten munny on a game that I perfectly well know that I am not going to win."

"Aww, but you love plush dolls! Look at the cute plushies!" Sora points at the array of stuffed dolls stashed on the shelf next to the booth.

"Well, why don't _you_ try winning one, Sora?" questions a stern, almost melancholy voice. I glance over to see none other than my ex, Lulu, manning the stand. And I'm not gonna lie, she's looking _good._ All I'm gonna say is that that bikini top probably should be a little bigger. But, of course, she's Wakka's girlfriend. Definitely off-limits. Plus, don't wanna go down that road again…

Shit, now I'm _really_ starting to question whether this is a good idea. I mean, it's been four years since Lulu and I were together, and even that wasn't particularly serious, so her doing something to me really isn't my concern. The problem is, even if I _do_ cave and win the stupid stuffed…whatever, I know for a fact that it might be afflicted with some crazy voodoo magic or something.

Yes, I refuse to win the doll because I fear for our safety. Perfect.

"Lulu!" chirps Amaya. "How's it going?"

"Not bad, this shift is pretty boring," she replies. "I'm filling in for Wakka's dad while he goes to eat."

"Aww, that's sweet," Amaya smiles. She needs to stop doing that. "These plush dolls are super cute!"

"Yeah, I made them," Lulu replies. Yep. RED ALERT. THESE ARE DEFINITELY NOT SAFE.

"Wow, I didn't know you were so talented!" No, no, you don't know what's good for you!

"Something the matter, Riku?" Lulu directs the question at me. Crap. "You're cringing."

"It's been a long day," I shrug. "I guess I'm just tired."

"You sure look funny when you're tired," Amaya chortles. Ugh. I can hear Sora and Kairi stifling their laughter from behind me. I swear, when I get a chance alone with those two…

"Oh wow, this one's really cute!" she points out this one chubby, blue alien-looking doll. It's got a yellow antenna, and the only facial features it possesses are eyes. It's kinda creepy. A closer look at the tag hanging off its arm reveals its name is 'PuPu.'

"Hey, Sora, you should win me this one," Amaya says excitedly, turning to her brother.

Except, there's the fact that he's nowhere in sight.

"That's strange…" she muses. No shit.

I'm going to _kill_ them.

"Did they say they were going somewhere?" she turns to me.

Shit. It's just me and her.

"Uh…"

"He seems just as confused as the two of us," Lulu chimes in. Oh, right, she's here, too. Lovely.

"Huh, I wonder what the two of them could be up to…I mean, they're pretty vanilla…"

"That's what exactly what I said!" I splutter, without even thinking. Shit, I have engaged in conversation.

"Hm?"

Well, point of no return. "There was a good few hours, earlier, where I was looking for them, too. I had no idea what they were up to," I shrug.

"That's…suspicious," she thinks aloud. She starts stroking her chin and squints her eyes, as if deep in thought. Well, we don't want her thinking _too_ deeply, now. If she's as smart as Sora says she is, she might figure out that this is a whole stupid scheme to set me and her up.

"Why don't we go look for them?" I suggest, trying to break up her train of thought. "I mean, I'm just as concerned by it as you are."

"Hm…you know, I _was_ going to just go back to my friends, but…you _are_ right, it's definitely bothering me. Let's go take a look!" she beams.

This is either the best or the worst thing that's ever happened to me, it's too early to tell.

"Lulu, I'll definitely be back with Sora for that PuPu doll!" Yeah. That works perfectly fine for me. No way in hell am I winning that plush thing.

"My shift should be over by then, so I probably won't see you here," Lulu says.

"Aww, well, we'll be sure to see you around!"

"Yeah, see ya," I nod. Well, hey, creepy doll crisis averted. Now I just gotta keep my cool and, hey, maybe I'll have a date for next Friday night or something. Or I'm going to have to beat Sora's ass. Although that's gonna happen regardless.

The two of us start walking, side by side, as we begin our quest to locate the missing couple. The circumstances might not be ideal, but I guess this is my chance to get to know her, and decide whether or not it's actually worth pursuing something with her. I keep my gaze ahead, so I don't get distracted by her looks—if anything is going to happen between me and her, it's gotta be something deeper than aesthetics or else, as I've learned from the past, it's not gonna last. Hey, that rhymes.

"Hmm, where do you think they could be?" she asks.

"Beats me," I reply. "There's so much to do at this place, they could be anywhere."

"Well, let's see…I'd say there's about an hour until sunset, and then another half hour after _that_ 'til it's completely dark. That's when the mayor makes his speech, and then it's time for fireworks. Any ideas?" she directs the question toward me.

"Mm…" I keep my eyes on the ground so I can think clearly. I try to think back to all the conversations I had with my best friends earlier today, and suddenly, it hits me. "Ultimate Frisbee."

"'Ultimate Frisbee?'" she echoes.

"Tidus challenged us to a rematch of the huge Ultimate Frisbee game we had last year," I tell her. "He said that we'd do it right before the fireworks. After the way things went last year, there's no way Sora wouldn't want to redeem himself. He's definitely going to be there. And Kairi's likely to be there for moral support."

"Oh, yeah, I remember watching that last year!" she giggles. "Oh, now it makes sense. Why you were buying Sora the chowder, I mean. He ended up crashing into and destroying that booth!"

"Yep," I chuckle.

"Still, he might not be the most coordinated person, or the sharpest tool in the shed, but, he's a good brother. Even though he's a year younger than me, sometimes, with the way he looks out for me, it seems like _he's_ the older one."

I don't see that side to Sora that often—the serious, protective side, that is—but she does bring up an old memory. It was a couple years back in high school, and Sora was ranting one day about how he was going to whoop this one guy's ass since he broke up with Amaya. I scoffed at him, and told him there was no way he'd come out on top. From what I remember, this guy was one of the best on the…boxing team? I wasn't really paying attention to the details, but it was some sort of violent sport. Maybe it was rugby, I don't know. Anyway, Sora was fuming, and on the rare occasion that that happens, he's stupider than usual. I tried talking him out of it, but it was impossible to convince him otherwise. The only option was for me to let him learn his lesson on his own.

The next day, I found out that the guy was out for the season. Broken ribs. Sora had this smug smirk on his face for the rest of the day, and I have to say, I was pretty impressed.

Sora would _never_ get away with that kind of shit with me, though.

"You know," she starts, "it's funny. You're Sora's best friend, and I don't even remember the last time we talked to each other."

"Huh, I never really thought about that," I reply. I want to say 'I kind of forgot you existed,' but that might be rude. "I guess I never really see the two of you together." Yeah, that'll suffice.

"True, Sora and I don't really spend a lot of time together when we're outside of the house. We hang out with pretty different groups of people. Hm, kind of makes me wonder if the two of us _would _be good friends. I mean, I _love_ Kairi, and the only other person that's that close to him is you."

Did I just get friend-zoned?

"Well, I guess we're not gonna find out unless we get to know each other, huh?" I reply, coolly. She can't decide to friend-zone me until she actually has a full-on conversation with me, right?

"Yeah, definitely!" she chirps. I glance over at her only to see her peeking up at me, with a warmth in her eyes. I look away to keep from melting.

And now, it gets awkward. I have no idea how to progress this banter any further. The fact that we can't remember the last time we talked to each other also kind of means that we have no idea what the other person is interested in, or even where to start a conversation about that kind of stuff. I don't really want to keep bringing up Sora; that's just gonna make me more prone to getting friend-zoned.

"So, what do you think those two are up to right now, anyway? We'll definitely run into them at the big game, but we can't really get any revenge on them for running away from us then." Well, she killed the 'not-talking-about-Sora' plan, but I guess it's a step above awkward silence.

"Knowing them…something stupid," I sigh.

"Huh, well, Sora will drop anything and everything to make Kairi happy. What would Kairi be wanting to do right now?" she thinks aloud. She has a point; I'm pretty sure Kairi's the mastermind behind all this shit going on. She's also probably the one who dragged Sora off out of nowhere. There are two possibilities I can think of: somehow, somewhere, they're spying on us, _or_ they're goofing off on—

"The mechanical chocobo," I think aloud.

"What?"

"Kairi loves that thing. I don't know why. I always thought it might be some sort of latent expression of sexual frustration or something—I mean, come on, you know she's getting nowhere with Sora— but, regardless, if there's a party with a mechanical chocobo, Kairi's gonna be riding it."

"That…ugh," I look over to see her scowling at the image I've just painted for her. "Although, as much as I don't like that thought, it strangely makes sense."

"Just block the picture out of your head," I shrug. "The goal is to find them, we can leave the psychoanalysis for later."

"I mean, considering you've already got that part taken care of," she smirks.

"Alright, this conversation's over," I scoff, and I begin to walk in the direction of the mechanical chocobo. I can hear her giggle as she jogs to catch up with me.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" she says, lightheartedly. "But you gotta admit, you totally set yourself up for that."

"You _might_ be more annoying than Sora," I groan dramatically.

"Ah, so that's your assessment from spending a solid five minutes with me?" she prods.

"Well, first impressions do make a lasting impact on perception."

"Hmm, if that's the case, you might want to work on your _own_ first impression," she winks.

"Oh?"

"Shirking your way out of a favor by making a girl you barely know go ahead and pay for and carry twice the amount of chowder she originally planned on getting because you were too lazy to do it yourself? Not the most gentlemanly thing, if I do say so myself. And, I'm totally not buying the 'I thought it might be funny excuse,' although if that _is_ the case, then you must have a really strange sense of humor."

"Alright, alright, you caught me," I play along with her. I'd rather her think that than her knowing that I thought she was way too pretty for me to even be able to look at her straight.

Spending more time with her though…I think that feeling's subsiding.

"Still, you're lucky I don't judge based on my first impressions of people," she says, sticking her tongue out at me. "Otherwise, I would have totally turned Kairi down when she asked me to hang out with you guys."

"Huh?"

"A couple hours ago, Kairi and Sora came to hang out with me and my friends. It was cute, Kairi said that the two of us needed to spend more time together, especially since her and Sora are getting pretty serious and all."

"They were pretty serious a good five years before they actually started going out," I scoff.

"You know what I mean." She rolls her eyes at me. I don't know, there's something fun about getting on her nerves. And hey, if she can put up with it, then _maybe_ this is worth a shot. Maybe. "Anyway, it looked like Kairi was starting to get a little uncomfortable, and when I asked her about it, she said she was a little intimidated by hanging out with so many new people." Oh, bullshit. Chick's a social butterfly. Have I also mentioned that Kairi is also one of the best liars I've ever met? "But she still wanted to spend time with me, so I offered to spend a little alone time with the two of them. It was then, that Sora went off to grab you."

Damn, they had the whole thing planned out.

"Although…it's weird, they insisted I spend time with the two of them, and then they just run off without a word…" she muses. Crap, crap, need to throw off her train of thought before she figures out what this is all about.

And just as luck would have it, the mechanical chocobo is in sight.

"Hey, let's go take a look!" Without thinking, I grab her wrist and begin leading her towards it. It's weird—a few hours ago I could barely look at her, and now, I'm touching her. She's going along with it though; instead of fighting her way out of my grasp, she lets me lead her without protest. And damn, is her skin _soft_.

"Huh, I don't see them anywhere," she observes, snapping me back into the real world. I didn't even realize that we had already reached the area. Gah, this spacing out crap better not be a common occurrence if I decide to ask her out.

I scan the vicinity and, whaddaya know? She's right. My spiky-haired best friend and his red-headed girlfriend are nowhere in sight—they're pretty easy to pick out, even in a huge crowd like the one that surrounds the stupid chocobo thing.

"Okay," she sighs. "Where should we look now?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Hmm…let's walk around some more. Maybe it'll spark an idea!" A smile creeps up on her lips.

"Alright." At this point, I've pretty much given in. Things haven't gone horribly yet, and, I gotta admit, she's pretty cool so far. A little more time alone with her couldn't hurt. Right?

"Pick a direction, and we'll walk straight that way!"

"My decision, huh?" I feel myself smirk. I'll be the first to admit, I like being in charge. Her letting me have my way right off the bat? Can't complain about that. My stomach's happy about that, too, 'cause I can feel it ready to rumble. I think they're starting to serve dinner. "Hey, why don't we head back over towards the food?"

"You know, that's a good idea. Knowing Sora, if he's not fooling around or sleeping, he's stuffing his face."

"Accurate assessment." I turn around and lead the way back to the food booths. The beach sure is getting livelier, as if that was even possible. There's a good half hour left until the Ultimate Frisbee game and—

Crap. I can't eat. I've got to be ready to play in half an hour.

"Riku, something wrong? You look kind of…annoyed," Amaya observes. I realize I never told her that the main reason I wanted to go back wasn't to find Sora, but to get food for myself, so I'm just going to have to play along with that.

"Your brother just seriously pisses me off sometimes, that's all," I sneer.

"You just have to learn to be a little patient with him," she giggles. "And I'm learning that that's the case with Kairi, too."

"Like two peas in a pod."

"At least they're cute!"

"Not even going to respond to that." She chuckles, and then the two of us fall silent. Not gonna lie, this is getting kind of awkward. I'm desperately trying to find some sort of inspiration from our surroundings to strike up some sort of conversation with her.

My acute senses pick up a rustling behind a set of bushes to our left. I look over at Amaya, and her confused expression lets me know that she sees it, too. I press a finger to my lips, motioning her to stay quiet, as I walk over stealthily to inspect.

"D-does it taste good, K-Kairi?" I suddenly hear a nervous Sora behind the bushes.

…Maybe they aren't as vanilla as I thought.

"Yeah, refreshing, actually," she replies, shyly. Well, damn, I never thought I'd say it, but I'm gonna need tips from Sora, if that's really the case. "It's so…juicy, and…I can't really explain it. Here, try it."

Woah, what?

"What is it?" I hear Amaya whisper in my ear. WOAH, WOAH, WOAH where the hell did she come from?! Her warm breath against the back of my neck and soft hand on my shoulder catch me totally off guard, and before I can brace myself, I fall face-first into the bush.

"R-Riku!" Kairi blurts out in surprise. I don't even dare look up, I do not need to see—

"Aww, you guys are adorable!" Amaya sputters. Wait, what?

Either it was too good to be true, and she _is_ bat-shit crazy, or…

Do I dare look up?

"Amaya, have you tried this before? It's amazing!" Sora cries.

"What the hell?!" I can't help but blurt out as I whip my head up to see Sora's hand holding—

Oh. It's only half a paopu fruit. Everything is still right with the world.

"Well, it's not like we're going to tell you _every _aspect of our love life, Riku, jeez. I know you miss us, but we need our own space, too," says Sora, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, it's nothing like that," Amaya replies, sweetly. "We were worried about you guys, since you just sort of ran away without a word, so the two of us came looking for you. But, you're right, you guys need your privacy, so Riku and I are just gonna be on our way." And with that, she grabs my hand and tries to pull me up out of the bush. I would probably just sit there, limp and dumbstruck, if I wasn't aware of the stupid smirks plastered on Sora and Kairi's faces. Oh, I refuse to be a source of their dim-witted entertainment. Instead, I squeeze back on her hand as I scoot myself up and stand, and let her guide me away from them. Once we're in the clear, I let go of her.

"Your hands are really rough," she points out.

"Happens when you work out a lot, I guess," I shrug. And never have I been so grateful for that fact. I am completely aware of how good I look in my swimming trunks, and as I peek over at her, I totally catch her glancing out of the corner of her eye at my abs, six-pack proudly on display. Her cheeks are a little red.

Oh, things are going to go a lot more smoothly from here on out.

"Well, anyway…" She clears her throat and blinks rapidly a couple of times, trying to compose herself. "I never would have thought I would walk in on my brother sharing a paopu fruit."

"There _are_ worse things to walk in on," I remind her.

"True, but that was a really intimate moment for them. I feel terrible that we intruded."

"Well, they were being pretty suspicious, hiding in the bushes and all."

"I guess you're right," she beams. "You know, to be totally honest, I don't even see the huge deal in sharing a paopu with someone, anyway."

"What?" I don't think I've ever heard anyone _else_ question the legend of the paopu fruit before.

"I mean, the legend goes: 'If you share a paopu fruit with someone, your destinies are intertwined. You'll always be a part of each other's lives, no matter what.' Which, I mean, I guess is sorta romantic, but at the same time, look at where we live. The island's so small, there's no way you're gonna be apart from someone."

Damn.

"Heh, you know, I don't think truer words have ever been spoken," I smirk at her.

"That's strange," she starts, with a laugh. "Normally, people start arguing and debating with me, as if that opinion's blasphemous."

"I guess I'm just not a normal person, then," I wink. Her face flushes slightly.

My, my, how the tables have turned.

"Well, I guess I have to agree with you there," she grins.

Oh, she's putty in my hands. I think back to that look she was giving me earlier, when she thought I wasn't paying attention. In two seconds, she's gonna be gushing about how amazingly perfect she thinks I am and how much she totally wants me.

"Oh?" I cock up an eyebrow.

"Earlier today, you could barely look at me, and now here you are, trying to flirt with me," she smirks. "What's up with that?"

That…did not go according to plan.

The universe really wants to take a dump on me today.

"Uh…"

"Ay, Riku, there ya are, man!" I look over to see none other than Wakka running up to us. I don't think I've ever been happier.

"Hey, Wakka, what's up?" I reply, turning all my attention and focus away from Amaya to talk to him.

"We're heading over to the clearing right now for the rematch! You're coming, ya?"

"Wouldn't dream of missing it."

"And you'll be there ta watch, Amaya?" he asks her.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to come by in a bit," she replies, gently.

"Alright! I'm going to head over now, don't want to keep Lu waiting too long! She and some of the others are already there. You coming, Riku?"

As much as I'd rather not see Lulu again…

"Yep, let's go!" I'd rather not continue this conversation with _her_ right now.

"Good luck!" she says, patting my arm before she walks off. I can feel the heat rushing to my face from her touch. Luckily, Wakka's too hyped up for the game to notice.

* * *

**A/N:** Hey guys~ Lol yeah I ended up splitting the chapter again. I'm having too much fun with this flashback. BUT I PROMISE IT'LL BE OVER IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.

Sorry I took so long to update; had a little writer's block, plus school's started back up. But hey, this chapter's slightly longer than the last two so there's that.

Definitely review and let me know what you think! Do I have my characterizations down? Is there chemistry between Amaya and Riku? Am I kind of funny? Is Sora/Chowder YOUR new OTP?

Oh and if you want to know what Amaya and Haru look like, check out the new cover photo ;) Full version on my deviantArt account, link's in my bio

Annnnnd shoutouts! Thank you so so much to **ANP Productions**, **mystic moogle**, **ultimatebrat**, and **Songbird Rebel **for your reviews on the last chapter, y'all are what keeps me going :)


	5. Island Festival, part 3: Too Sappy?

The game ends when the mayor starts his speech. Last I checked, there were about five minutes left 'til then, but that feels like ages ago. Regardless, Sora and I have to keep trudging on. The game is tied, fourteen to fourteen. It's been a hard-fought battle; the momentum keeps swinging between our two teams. Sora and I started out pretty strong, with a 5-0 lead, but somehow, Tidus and Wakka fought back and surpassed us, pushing the score to 5-8, in their favor. We were able to put an end to their storm and tied the game up, and it's just been going back and forth like a pendulum between our teams since then.

Next score wins it.

"Alright bro, we gotta stay focused," I tell Sora, grabbing his shoulder to really get the message through, while we huddle to come up with our strategy.

"Right!" he responds, passionately, as he clenches his fist. "Plan of action?"

"Well, we're on the defensive right now," I observe. "They're probably going to try to pull the same shit they did last year, with Wakka and that power throw that sent you flying and left you pretty much incapacitated."

"What makes you so sure they're gonna try it again?"

"They're too predictable. Don't you pay attention when you spar with them? Sure, they've gotten a lot stronger over time, but their techniques are all always and still are the same. They always use the same attacks when they're desperate. And sure, that move worked for them last year, but we're a year wiser and stronger now."

"Alright, so what do you think we should do?"

"Don't go for the interception like you tried last time, or we're gonna end up with the same situation. But pretend that you are."

"Huh?"

"Tidus was right behind you last year, to grab the Frisbee or something in case you missed it, to prevent an out-of-bounds. This time around, we set up the play the same way we did—I try to distract Wakka, while you pretend to try to go for that Frisbee. Tidus isn't going to actually go for it, 'cause he knows he's gonna go flying if he tries to grab it, too. He'd just try to swat it to the ground, and _then_ pick it up and run as a fail-safe; their first choice is for you to try grabbing it and put you out of action."

"Okay, so I _pretend_ to go for it, but…_oh_, I tackle Tidus?"

"Yep. Get Tidus out of the way, and the Frisbee goes right out of bounds and it's our possession. We huddle again and come up with our strategy then."

"Got it!"

"Let's do this!" We bump fists and walk back onto our makeshift field. Tidus and Wakka are already there, looking pretty lax; only another sign that they're probably just recycling strategies.

"Alright, you guys ready?" asks Garnet, our chosen referee. I give her a thumbs up while Sora gives her a nod; I don't see what Tidus is up to but I hear Wakka let out some intense battle cry.

"Alright, go!" She blows the whistle, and I am off to cover Wakka. I'm pretty fast; I could run the approximate 150-foot gap and tackle him to the ground before he throws, but that would constitute a foul. Which sucks, since the one thing Wakka _is_ better at than me is jumping, so it's hard to cover him when he's the one throwing. I start waving my hands out around like a maniac, hoping my wingspan will be long enough to possibly prevent the hard throw when he goes up for the jump.

It's futile. Dude goes up like a rocket, and obnoxiously yells as he does his power-throw. The disc flies straight out of his hand as fast as lightning. All I can do now is watch.

What I see before me looks almost like a slow-motion highlight reel. As planned, Sora's running towards the Frisbee, two steps ahead of Tidus; he's the faster one, anyway. The disc is getting closer and closer, and Sora stops, just as planned. Alright, now he just has to turn around and tackle Tidus—

Wait, what?

Why is he just standing there?

"Sora!" I yell, trying to get his attention. This is _not_ according to the plan. Instead of reacting, he gives me a wink.

In that flash, Tidus jumps in front of Sora, as predicted, and goes to try to swat the Frisbee; with his fist, he punches it with all his might. The Frisbee plops right onto the ground in front of him, and Tidus falls _hard_ and lands right behind him. Sora, you genius! In an instant, he's all over it. He dives and comes up _big_.

"Riku!" Sora yells, as he positions himself for the hail-mary.

"Alright!" I begin to sprint towards our goal line, and make sure to shove dumbstruck Wakka out of the way _hard_ as I do so. It takes me around five seconds to cover about 40 or 50 feet, when I begin to turn around and see the disc flying at me. I catch it easily, and am just about to celebrate, when I look down and notice I haven't crossed the goal line.

Dammit.

"Sora, run!" I scream, as I point a couple feet behind me to where the goal line actually is. With Tidus slow to get up, he understands immediately and takes off. I don't think I've ever seen him run so fast.

He runs straight down the "field" as quickly as his legs can carry him. Tidus has gotten up and is desperately trying to catch up to Sora, but there's no way. Before he can even dream of closing the gap, Wakka starts making a dash to tackle my teammate as well. I open my mouth to yell to warn him, but Sora's got the foresight to leapfrog over Wakka, while simultaneously shoving him back into Tidus. He is home free.

I don't think I've ever been so proud of him.

He as his arms raised in victory as he comes up to cross the line, and quickly stretches out a hand to me so he can grab the Frisbee. With his foot across the line, I hand it over. I hear the whistle blow.

Victory.

"YES!" Sora howls, ecstatically. "We did it, Riku!"

"You're the MVP, bro!" I reply, as I pull him into a one-armed hug. I finally notice the noise from the spectators; didn't realize there were so many, all huddled near the opposite goal line. They've erupted into some loud cheering, and Sora removes himself from the hug and jogs towards them, basking in the moment. I follow.

"Race ya there!" I challenge him. Before I can start sprinting, I feel him jump on to my back. "…A piggy back ride?"

"I'm beat, bro," he whines. "Plus, look, they love it!" he perks back up. I notice that the crowd begins cheering even louder.

Alright, I guess I'll roll with it.

"_Born free, free as the wind!_" Sora starts to sing, as we reach the halfway point.

"Singing is _not_ one of your talents, man," I snap.

"I'm better than you probably are!" he snaps back, pounding my head with his fist as he does so. I just sigh as he continues with the song. He _is_ the MVP, after all.

When we finally reach the crowd, Tidus and Wakka are the first ones to catch up to us. Sora finally jumps off my back.

"Can't believe we lost, man," Wakka sighs.

"Yeah…still, you guys played great!" Tidus chimes.

"Yeah, great game, guys," I reply, as I stick out my arm for a handshake.

"We _totally_ owned you guys in the end though," jeers Sora, as he holds his hand out as well, ever the easily inflated ego.

"Heh, we'll get you next year," sneers Tidus, as he grabs my hand. "After all, now we're tied, 1-1."

"Don't wanna start the trash-talk _too_ early," I wink. "Like you said, we're tied. Sora and I are the most recent winners, so don't you think we have the upper hand right now?"

"Well, I guess it's like you said, we're just gonna have to see! 'Til next year!" he responds, pumping his fist. I give him a nod as he and Wakka retreat into the crowd.

"Sora! Riku!" I hear Kairi call out. I turn to see her running towards us. "Congrats, you guys were amazing!"

"Hey, thanks babe!" Sora beams as she approaches.

"Couldn't have done it without Sora's quick thinking," I add. Sora's grin gets even bigger and goofier than it just was. I choose to boost Sora's ego in front of Kairi because, hey, gotta have your bro's back when he's with his woman.

"Amaya _did say_ that you looked pretty surprised when Sora decided to cleverly just stand there," she smirks at me, as she wraps her arms around her boyfriend. He looks like he's on cloud nine.

"We're still on about that?" I groan. The nice thing about the game was that I could drown out every other thought, and refocus all my attention. I almost forgot about all the stupid shit that happened earlier today.

"Hey, great job, guys," a familiar husky voice says. I look over to see none other than the aforementioned person, big smile plastered on her face. I feel the familiar unwelcome heat rush to my face. Dammit. _And_ she's surrounded by two other girls, probably her friends.

"You guys watched the game?" asks Sora.

"Yeah, wouldn't have missed it!" one of her friends chirps, her face turning as pink as her hair. Closer look reveals it's Serah; she's had a huge crush on me for a really long time, but her sister—who I also dated once—scares the bejeezus out me. I explained that fact to her when she tried giving me a valentine last year, and let her down easy, but it's apparent she still might have a thing for me. I mean, not that I blame her.

"It was a really fun time," adds the girl with the sand-colored hair. Can't say I can remember her name, but I've seen her around campus a couple of times.

"Glad you guys enjoyed it," I reply to them. Serah's face turns even pinker.

"Hey, the mayor's speech starts soon," says sandy, as if sensing Serah's discomfort. "We should head over."

"You guys go on ahead, Ashe and Serah, I'll catch up with you there!" Amaya responds. Oh, right, sandy's name is Ashe. The two nod cheerily and head off. I notice the crowd is starting to dwindle a bit.

Oh, wait, Amaya's hanging here for a bit? With us? Crap.

Lucky for me, a bunch of people come up to us and start chatting us up, congratulating us on winning. Amaya's off in the corner standing with Kairi—which I have to admit kind of concerns me, but then again, as ridiculous as today's been, it's not like she's blown my cover. I'll just continue to trust she won't; getting my mind off that and focusing on all these other people is a lot easier.

Ten minutes later, pretty much everyone's gone towards the stage on the shore, to hear Kairi's dad's address. Kairi and Sora are still here, but Amaya's disappeared. I inwardly let out a sigh of relief, but at the same, I have to say I'm a little disappointed.

"Guess we should head over now, huh?" I ask the two of them.

"In a bit," Kairi interjects.

"Your dad's giving his speech, though," I reply, a little confused.

"It's the same thing pretty much every year," she rolls her eyes. "Even he hates giving it. Anyway, _we_ need to talk."

I hate that line _so_ much. It almost never bodes well.

"Do I even want to know what this is about?" I cringe.

"My sister," Sora responds, stupid grin still on his face. Kairi looks a little sterner, though, so I can't tell how serious this exactly is.

"As you can infer from me telling you her evaluation of Sora's brilliance in his game-winning play, Amaya and I spent some time talking during your game," states Kairi.

"Oh boy!" I reply sarcastically.

"She _knows_ you're interested in her," she smirks. Damn. I mean, I kind of figured considering Amaya pointed out the fact that I was flirting with her, but I was kind of hoping that that went over her head. Guess she's not that dense. Which, I mean, isn't a bad thing, but…

"Good for you, she's interested, too," Sora finishes for her.

"Wait, what?" I blurt.

"Like I said, the two of us were talking during the game," Kairi starts up again. "She was analyzing your guys' game-play and whatnot, and I noticed that she pointed out what _you_ were doing more than anyone else on the field."

"Hey, look, he's smiling!" Sora interrupts, pointing at me. Crap, I didn't even notice.

"Shut up!" I counter, trying to revert back to a straight face. Good thing it's pretty dark out; I can feel the blood rushing to my face, but they won't be able to tell.

"Stop acting like a kindergartener who's afraid of cooties," scoffs Kairi.

"Alright, alright," I reply, irritated. I mean, she _is_ right. "Just continue on with that you were saying." She snorts and then begins again.

"Anyway, I pointed that out to her, and she got a little flustered. She was blushing a little, too." Ha, that's actually really cute. "I prodded a little further, and she confessed that she thought you were…interesting, was the word she chose."

"But she was blushing, right? That can only bode well for me."

"Well, yeah. She said that she thought you were good-looking—"

"Of course."

"She also said you were kind of a dork." She stops talking right there, trying to stifle her laughter.

"…and?"

"You should see your face!" she starts cackling. Sora joins in.

"Amaya definitely got the 'dork' part right!" he guffaws. I hit him on the head. _Hard._ That gets them both to stop. "Ah, what the hell, Riku?!" he winces, rubbing the tender area with his hand.

"Hit you twice as hard 'cause I can't hit Kairi," I reason. I straighten up my posture and make sure to keep my expression as rigid as I can. "Ahem, anyway, you were saying?"

"Well, she said she had a feeling that you were interested in her, but couldn't be a hundred percent sure 'cause you kept shifting between being all shy and confused to stupid and show-offy," Kairi continues. Alright, so she only _kind of_ caught on. But not completely, so I guess I have some sort of dignity left. "She said something along the lines of the fact that she thought you were kind of hard to figure out, but at the same time, it was cute, and she said you were fun to talk to."

"So basically, I'm good-looking, mysterious, cute, and fun to talk to in her book?" I recap.

"And a dork," Sora adds, with a stupid smirk. I glare at him and he puts his arms up in defense, scared that I'm gonna hit him again.

"Yeah, she said she'd like to get to know you better!" Kairi grins. "So, what are you waiting for?"

I pause for a moment, not really sure how to respond. What _am_ I waiting for?

"Is there…something that you don't like about _her_, maybe?" Sora inquires, with a tone of concern in his voice.

"Mm…I guess…maybe I'm just not used to feeling like some sort of…_dork_, for lack of a better term," I confess. "I mean, let's be honest, I'm usually pretty good with girls and get my way with them. Either that, or they're too ridiculous for me and I just give up with them. But, this time, it's some sort of strange combination of that, and I don't really know whether I dig it or not."

"So, you're scared since you think she might actually be girlfriend material?" Kairi prods.

"Something like that, I guess," I shrug. She's pretty much hit the nail on the head, to be honest. "But, like you guys said, asking her out on a date isn't like some sort of marriage proposal…she's interested in me, she's pretty cool, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in her, too, so…I guess I'll go for it."

"Really?!" Sora exclaims, stupid grin wider than ever.

"Yeah," I reply, calmly. "I mean, I'm still a little iffy about it but…if I _don't_ go for it, I know I'm going to regret it." I think back to how, admittedly, crushed I was to see Stella with someone else, before I even got my chance with her. As much as I hate admitting to Kairi being right, she_ was_; I can't let something like that happen to me again. Gotta take my chances.

"Well, what are you waiting for? She's standing near the lobster booth," Kairi smirks.

"Wait, she's _expecting_ me?"

"Yeah, yeah, you can thank me later, just go!" she shoos. I open my mouth to protest—I mean, what the hell would she have done if I _wasn't_ interested?—but she just shoves me to get me to turn around and go. It's futile at this point; starting an argument with Kairi right now is a total waste of energy. I groan and head off.

"Good luck, man!" I hear Sora encourage from behind me. "Just be yourself. And be honest with her! She appreciates that!" I wave an arm up to acknowledge him. I can hear them high-fiving, snickering in celebration. It annoys me to no end.

But I'll be honest; I'll have to thank both of them, if this works out. Later, of course. Can't stroke their egos too much, now, can I?

I stick my hands in my pockets as I make my way over to the designated booths. I realize I'm faced with a new dilemma: how exactly am I supposed to ask her out? I mean, yeah, popping the question is one thing and seems simple enough, but it really is quite complex. What wording should I use? What kind of tone of voice should I use? My demeanor?

Ugh, maybe I'm over-thinking it. It really shouldn't be this hard; I've done it a ton of times before. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I'm gonna have to take Sora's advice on this one—I'll just be myself, and go with the flow. It's gotten me this far, right?

I'm a few yards away from the booth when I finally see her. She doesn't seem to notice me yet; her attention is turned to the woman manning the stand. Looks like she's ordering something. I stop for a second and take a good look at her.

No denying, she's a good-looking girl, but, there's something about the way she smiles, the way her eyes light up when she talks, the way she brings her hand up to her mouth when she laughs, that hair-twirling habit of hers, the way she carries herself, her soft-spoken voice…It's cheesy, but, dare I say it, she really is _beautiful_.

And according to Kairi, she's _interested_ in me. I guess I really would have to be stupid to not go for it.

"Oh, hey, Riku!" she turns to wave at me.

You got this, Riku. Just go with the flow.

"Hey, what're you up to?" I ask, as I approach her.

"Just getting something to eat. It's been a long day!" she replies, heartily. "Can't wait for the fireworks show to start."

"Yeah, that's any minute now, huh?" She nods her head.

"Miss, here's your order," chimes the booth-lady.

"Oh, thank you!" she responds. She reaches out her hands to get what looks like two red cardboard containers of stuffed lobster tail.

_Damn, _reminds me that I am _hungry_.

"Here you go, Riku!" She hands one of the containers over to me.

"Wait, what?" Girl read my mind, holy crap. I mean, not that I'm complaining, but how did she know to get my _favorite_?

"I figured you'd be hungry, since you just played a really intense game," she beams. "Kairi said something about stuffed lobster tail being your favorite."

I _really_ do have to thank her later.

"Oh…thanks, you really didn't have to," I reply, trying to make sure my voice doesn't waver. "Let me pay you back!"

"Don't worry about it, it's a present!"

"A present for what?"

"Does there always have to be a reason when you give a gift to someone?" she asks, smiling as she starts digging her spoon into her lobster.

"Heh, I guess not…thanks a lot," I smile back at her.

"Wanna go get a place to sit closer to the shore? It's easier to sit and eat and, like you said, fireworks should be starting any minute!"

"Yeah, sure," I reply. "Lead the way." She smiles as she goes a couple of steps ahead of me, probably taking it as a return of the favor of her previously giving me the lead, while we were still looking for Sora and Kairi. Little does she know, it's actually an excuse to—

"You're not checking out my butt, are you?" Crap. She turns around, eyebrow raised.

"Come on, give me a _little_ more…alright, fine, I was," I confess. According to Sora, honesty's the best policy, right? "Does it help if I say I can't see anything because of your sarong?" It's kind of true. The stupid thing is hanging in the way and its folds, along with the dim lighting, are obscuring everything. Still, the way the fabric smoothes over her backside-area…she's definitely got a little somethin'-somethin', if ya catch my drift. Can't complain about that.

She sighs as she turns back around, but I definitely see a hint of a smile. No lecture on how sleazy and rude I probably was being? I take it I'm forgiven.

Ha, she totally digs me.

"Damn, it's crowded," she observes, as we approach the shore. Everyone's sitting, huddled in their little groups waiting for the show to begin. The view from here is perfect; the sky is perfectly clear tonight and the ocean waves are calm. I see a couple of kids playing around and splashing in the water, and others running around with glow sticks and the like. Sure brings back memories. People are pretty chatty, and the ambience is definitely laid-back—perfect end to a pretty wild day, if I do say so myself.

I notice Serah and Ashe with a few other girls clustered not too far away from us. I'd really rather not sit with _that_ crowd. That could get pretty awkward.

"Hey, why don't we sit over there?" she gestures to a spot well behind that group. Sweet.

"Sounds like a plan," I reply, as I begin walking over. She catches up with me right away as we reach the designated area.

"Good thing the shore's so big," she observes. "Otherwise, with this many people, it would be almost impossible to get a good view."

"Yeah, definitely." I start digging into my lobster tail. The buttery meat melts right in my mouth. I'm practically in a state of euphoria as I experience all its light, lemony, and crispy texture and flavors.

"How is it?" she inquires, watching me eat.

"Amazing, as always," I reply. "Thanks again."

"No problem, I'm really glad you like it!" she grins.

"Can't go wrong with this." I take another spoonful, while I finalize my game-plan. Not that I think this is some sort of game, but, I gotta come up with a way to make this go as smoothly as possible. As much as I hate confessions, I have a feeling this is going to work to my advantage here. "Oh, and, by the way, I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I acted kinda shady and—"

"Don't worry about it," she interjects, shaking her head. "It's normal to act a little awkward around people you don't know too well." Oh, girl, if that's what you're thinking, then that is perfectly _fine_ by me. I'll take that over a corny confession any day.

She takes her own bite of lobster-tail stuffing. "Wow, this _is _really good! I haven't had this in so long."

"It's not my favorite for no reason," I respond. She just giggles.

"I'll definitely have to ask you for more food recommendations, then," she says, savoring another spoonful.

"Well, have you been to that new restaurant, The Hidden Dragon? They have some pretty good food." Great place. Went there last weekend with a group of friends to celebrate getting done with that stupid sociology exam I had.

"Oh yeah?"

And now, I go in for the kill.

"If you're free this Friday night…"

"I'd love to!" she beams.

_Success!_

And before I can respond, I hear a deafening 'boom.' The first firework's gone off. Holy_ crap_, that timing couldn't have been cheesier.

"Holy _crap_, that timing couldn't have been cheesier," she scoffs.

You know…I have a good feeling about this.

* * *

"And, yeah, that's that story," I conclude.

"Oh, how sweet!" Aunt Elmyra croons.

"Very cute," Stella nods in agreement.

Okay, so I might have left out a few details. And put a couple more in. But, come on, 'Guy gets introduced to his best friend's sister at a fireworks show, best friend sees connection, introduces guy and girl, and they have a blast on their eventual first date together' sounds so much better than that mostly train wreck of the _real_ story, right?

"It's nice that things seem to be going so well for the two of you," Aunt Elmyra beams.

"Y-yeah," I reply, as I scratch the back of my neck. Don't get me wrong, she's a sweet old lady, but the fact that she's happier than even _Sora_ is most of the time is a little overwhelming.

"So…you're here buying flowers for _her_, right?" Stella inquires. Oh, right, that's what I was in here for.

"Yeah…problem is, I'm not really sure what to get her," I admit.

"Hmm, roses are always a safe bet," she suggests.

"I wanna be a little more original than that." At least I remember that roses are definitely _not_ Amaya's favorite.

"Aww, okay, then. Why don't you take a look around? Maybe something will stand out," she proposes.

"And we're always here if you have any inquiries! It's not too busy right now—as you can see, no one else in the store right now—so we're all yours if you need assistance!" chimes in Aunt Elmyra.

"Sounds like a plan." I walk over to look at shelves upon shelves of flowers. There're way too many varieties here, and the fact that I know jack-shit isn't helping me choose. At this point, though, I can't really walk out of here empty-handed. And flowers aren't exactly cheap, so it's not like I can buy some and throw 'em out to avoid Amaya finding out about me forgetting whatever her favorites are. I'm really in a pickle here. I guess I'm just gonna have to follow her advice, for the case of 'guy who doesn't know girl's favorite flowers.' That pretentious 'language of flowers' shit, or whatever. Hey, maybe if I'm lucky, she and I are on the same wavelength and I pick the right ones. If anything, at least she'll know I remembered part of what she said that day.

Let's see, step one. Pick flowers I'm drawn to…huh, those are pretty funky. They're these purple and white flowers, with some petals folded all the way up and others drooping down. According to the card, folded and placed in front of the vase that contains the flowers, they're…oh, _these_ are irises. Kairi said something about wanting them for her graduation party. Wow, so I can remember _that_.

Whatever, let's see what the meaning is…'Wisdom, courage,' and 'admiration.' Wisdom? I mean, sure, Amaya's pretty smart, but 'wise' is kind of more suited to elderly people and owls, and I don't really want to associate that kind of image with the girl I'm dating. Courage? Hm, don't know her well enough yet for that one. And then admiration's is a bit overkill, to be honest. These are a no. But I'm sure they'll look nice at Kairi's party.

Alright, another look around…sunflowers? Nah, those give me a 'Sora' vibe, and to be honest, equating Amaya and Sora kind of freaks me out. So that's another no.

Oh, these look kind of sophisticated. They come in a bunch of different colors; some even have _two_ colors, with this cool-looking border at the tips of the sort of scrunched up petals. Card says they're carnations. 'Fascination, distinction' and…'_love_'? Yeah, that's a no-go.

Hmm…oh, here are the ones Sora got for Kairi. They're called alstroemeria, but it looks like they're some type of lily. 'Friendship, devotion.' Hm…it works for Sora and Kairi, but I don't think that's quite right for us.

Alright, speed round. I'm just gonna go around and read some more cards. 'Camellia: admiration, perfection.' That's a little too much. 'Daffodil: unrequited love.' Just no. 'Hydrangea: thank you for understanding.' Understanding what? 'Chrysanthemum: I love.' Nope. 'Orchid: beauty, _love?_" Nope. 'Primrose: I can't live without you.' Oh, come on, that's just sad. 'Tulip: Perfect lover.'

…Are there any flowers that _aren't_ some disgusting confession of undying love of the sorts?

"You having any trouble, Riku?" I hear Stella's silvery voice inquire.

"Yeah. To be honest, I'm not really feeling a lot of these. They're a bit too…sappy."

"Hmm, well, did you make sure to look at the cards specific to the color of each flower?" Sure enough, there are _also_ separate cards dangling from each vase containing the varying colors of each species of flowers. Well, this got a whole lot more obnoxiously complicated. "Even though the general meaning of the flower might be kind of 'sappy,' when you look at the specific colors, you might get something with a totally different meaning. Take roses, for example. Generally, they're used to confess love, but there are some colors that might not mean that. For example, the yellow ones stand for something along the lines of 'everlasting friendship.'"

Well, hey, that might be a good birthday gift or something for _Kairi_, but that's irrelevant right now.

"I guess I'll take another look around. Thanks for your help," I nod.

"Yeah, let me know if you need anything else!" She makes her way to tend to some other flowers.

Guess I'll take another scan around the room then. Hm…

Oh, those look interesting. They look…kinda like daisies, but with a lot more petals and tons of different colors. Card says—

I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I take it out and, hey, whaddaya know? **Text Message: Amaya.** The formatting of that last text I sent her must have pissed her off to no end.

"_You can be really obnoxious sometimes. -_-_" Oh, the sweet satisfaction of getting on the nerves of a grammar-nazi. I decide to text back with a winky face. She'll get over it when she sees me and whatever flowers I pick out for her, right?

Anyway, right, card. It says: 'Aster: patience…' Huh. That actually _might _work. She's put up with any shit I've given her so far. Let's see, there's also: 'daintiness' and…well, who would have guessed? 'Love.' So close. So, so close.

"Something the matter, dear?" Aunt Elmyra asks, concerned. "Oh, aster flowers? These are lovely! Did you know that their name is derived from another word meaning 'star'?"

Stars, huh? I think back to that really good conversation Amaya and I had, on our first—no, sorry, second date, about my little star theory. I don't know. It just felt like the first time we _really _connected. As corny as it is, these flowers actually might have been perfect.

"The gift of flowers is such a beautiful thing, especially when one puts so much thought into it, like you are," she continues. "It shows that you really care about this girl."

No, woman, I'm putting this much thought into it because of Amaya's annoying know-it-all tendencies _and_ the fact that it would be impolite to walk out of here empty-handed after you and Stella hounded me with all those questions. But, of course, it would also be kind of rude to actually say that out loud.

Not that I don't _care_ about Amaya, either, though, of course, but…hm...

You know what? I'll go for it. Most of the meaning fits well. If—no, _when_ Amaya quizzes me about the symbolism or whatever, I'll just leave the 'love' part out. I mean, it's not like she has the meaning of every single flower memorized, right?

Actually, I wouldn't put that past her, to be honest.

Whatever, I just want to get out of here.

"Could I get a bouquet of these, please? I think she'll like them," I explain, trying to keep up whatever expectations this woman has got for me.

"Why, certainly, dear! Give me a couple of minutes and I can whip something up for you! Any other flowers you'd like to add?"

Ha, like I'd want to complicate this crap any further.

"No, I think these will do," I reply, politely. "If you used a bunch of different colors of it, though, that might be cool." If anything, at least it'll look like I tried a little harder.

"Of course! And Stella can ring you up while you're waiting."

"Thank you." I walk over to the little cash register in the corner, where Stella's sitting, checking out her fingernails or something.

"Oh, you all set?" she asks, when she notices me standing there.

"Yeah, just a bouquet of aster flowers," I reply.

"Ooh, nice choice," she beams, giving me a thumbs up. Heh, a year ago, I would have had a heart attack from that.

Crushes are one of the worst things to ever be imposed on mankind. Good thing I'm over that shit.

"That'll be…600 munny," she calculates. Holy crap, this shit doesn't come cheap. My night _better _be good.

"Here ya go," I sigh, as I hand over the munny.

"Thank you!" she chirps, as she puts it in the register. "Mrs. Gainsborough should be out soon with your bouquet—oh, there she is!" Damn, that was fast. Not that I mind. I see the elderly lady coming around the shelves. The bouquet looks pretty great, in my opinion. Purple, blue, pink, and white flowers stick out all over the place. Amaya better like it.

"Here you go, dear," she practically sings as she hands the flowers over to me.

"Thanks a lot," I reply, as I accept them. Alright, time to get out of this place. "You guys have a good evening." I wave and spin around to walk out the door.

"You, too, Riku! I'll see you around!" I hear Stella say.

"Have a great night, darling," Aunt Elmyra chimes in. I turn my head one more time to give them a smile as I leave.

Now that I've gotten this crap out of the way, it's time to finally get on with my night.

* * *

**A/N:** Annnnnd we're finally back to our actual plot xD Haha sorry about the meandering to that huge flashback; it honestly was originally planned to be about 1,000 words, and then end with the ending in this chapter, but I ended up getting so many ideas while I was writing it out, that that would have ended up being a 20,000 word chapter aha. But I hope you enjoyed those scenes! It was also kind of my way of including a little more Sora and Kairi, since they're listed as my other main characters.

I finished this a lot faster than I thought I would o_o I guess studying for biochemistry got my creative juices flowing idk

That last part of the flashback was kinda fluffy, but let me know what you think about that. Riku fluff is _hard_. That, and I still hope Amaya retains her likability. Like, really, tell me if you feel she needs to be burned at the Sue-stake at any point.

So yeah, next chapter we _finally_ get to the plot. And we get to meet Haru! **Follow/fav** to keep up with whatever ridiculous shenanigans that have Riku face-palming in the next chapters! Really hope you enjoyed this, and don't forget to leave a **review** to let me know what you think! Characterizations are always something I'm super duper paranoid about, so definitely give me your opinions on those, and motivate me to keep writing so you get faster updates. Or you can tell me how much this sucked and how I should never, ever write again, you're entitled to your feelings.**  
**

**Shoutouts: **Thank you so much **relena soulheart** (darling), **ANP Productions **(my favorite), **mystic moogle** (aka 'person who always puts a smile on my face) and **ultimatebrat** (bae and the straw to my berry) for reviewing the last chapter!


	6. My Best Friend's Sisters

**A/N: **Play the Advent Children version of One-Winged Angel for the ice cream shop scene. You're welcome.

* * *

It's pretty funny how drastically things can change over the span of such a short amount of time.

Before the Island Festival, Amaya was just Sora's cute older sister. Three weeks later? She's one of two girls I've considered beautiful in my nineteen years, I'm _dating _her, and I bought her a bouquet of flowers.

I'm turning into a total sap.

Sora said something about buying her chocolates, but a) that would make this shit about a hundred or so times cornier, and b) I already wasted enough munny on these flowers. And let me tell you, chocolates do not come cheap. A decent box comes in at around 300 munny, which, sure, isn't anywhere near a fortune, but still far too much for a puny little parcel of desserts if you ask me.

Still, I can't help but feel obliged to get something…_comparable._

Sora and Kairi need to stop invading my conscience.

Anyway, let's see, what around here would suffice?

Well, well, well, what a stroke of good luck for me! Twilight Ice Cream Parlor is right across the street. Hm, although, I'm not really sure what her favorite ice cream flavor is. Or Haru's, for that matter—can't forget about that kid. Then again, everyone's been raving about that new sea-salt flavor. Haven't gotten a chance to try it myself, but Kairi was gushing over how good the bar Sora bought her the other day was. "Salty, but sweet!"

Pretty sure she was talking about ice cream, anyway.

Anyway, why the hell not? Ice cream bars are cheaper than chocolate anyway, and I won't feel Sora subconsciously berating my being for forgetting to bring his sister some sort of dessert.

I look both ways and cross the street. Most people don't really use their cars on the island, unless you're going to the other side of the coast or something, so I get across pretty quickly.

I open up the door and a bell sounds, probably to alert whoever's up front there's a customer. There're a couple kids here with their parents, sitting and eating at tables, although they look like they're eating and trying to get out of here as quickly as possible. Lucky me, though, there's no line.

"Hi there," I greet the lady manning the register.

"What do you want?" she deadpans. What a bi—well, who knows? Maybe she's having a bad day. "And that pathetic flower bouquet probably isn't gonna get you laid tonight."

Yep. She's a total bitch.

It's not like she's hot enough for me to let it slide, either. I mean, not that I'd be checking her out or anything, I have a girl. But, hey, I'll be the first to admit that it's a lot easier to get away with asshole-ish antics when you're on the good-looking side.

This bitch though? Looks like she was gang-banged by some four-year-old's crayon box. That, along with the receding hairline, saggy face and…well, saggy _everything_, to be honest, she'd be lucky if a guy bought her a toilet plunger to try and get it with her.

Although, even _that_ might be more value than it's worth.

But that's none of my business.

Still, while I _could_ be an asshole back, I'd rather just get out of here ASAP, so I'm just gonna go the disgustingly polite route.

I pause to look at her name tag, because apparently people are friendlier when you call them by name. "Well, there, Mary Sue—and, might I say, what a _lovely_ name—"

"Cut the shit and tell me what you want," she scowls. _Well then._

"Three sea-salt ice cream bars, please," I finish, coolly. Definitely not giving her the satisfaction of knowing how absolutely appalling she and her attitude are, because for some reason, I think it turns this bitch on.

She reaches into a cooler behind her and grabs three bars and throws 'em on the counter.

"150 munny," she huffs.

"Here ya go," I hand over the coins, making sure not to touch her hand 'cause yuck. She hastily puts 'em in the drawer of the cash register.

As much as I don't want to ask…

"Um, could I get a bag for these?" She raises her eyebrows like I'm crazy, and reaches under the register without breaking eye contact. I hear her rip off a plastic bag. She throws it onto the table, on top of the ice cream.

"Scram," she glowers.

Well, no tip for you. Or from anyone, for that matter—sure enough, the tip jar's empty.

I hastily shove the bars into the bag and turn to leave. I also now realize why the parlor's empty. Sheesh.

Whatever, I got what I needed. And hey, I only spent half the munny I would have if I bought chocolate, so there's that. I'd say it was worth it. Now I gotta get to Sora's house before the ice cream melts.

Luckily, it's not too long of a walk. Five minutes later, I find myself climbing up the stairs of the front porch.

Time for my Saturday night to begin.

I hold the flowers behind my back in one hand, while I use the other one that's carrying the bag with the ice cream bars to ring the doorbell. And now, I wait.

Hm…wonder how Amaya's gonna react when she sees me. After all, I'm only still getting to know her. Everyone's different when it comes to surprises, I suppose. She doesn't seem like the type to hate them, but then again, you never know.

Oh, looks like the doorknob's turning. Door's opening…

"Oh, Riku!" says a surprised female voice.

"Hey," I greet. Sure enough, it's Amaya at the door, but… "Is this a bad time?"

She definitely _isn't_ prepared for a visitor, that's for sure. She's dressed in a black tank top (Doesn't look like she's wearing a bra; now _that_ is something I can't complain about. I mean, this girl has a _rack_.), cactuar-patterned pajama pants, and her hair's up in a really messy looking bun.

"Huh?" she asks. She still looks a little dumbstruck.

The thing that's actually concerning me, though, are the really dark circles under her eyes and that brown gooey patch on her left cheek. Seriously, what _is_ that? Is there some horrifying disease she has that I wasn't aware of?

"Are…you feeling okay?" I ask.

I immediately get a sense that I shouldn't have said that. From a distance, I can hear Kairi berating me and threatening to rip my balls off. Oops.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, why...um…wait, no, where are my manners?! C-come right on in!" She's totally freaking out as she lets me in through the door. That still doesn't explain why she looks…the way she does.

I walk into the entryway; it's nothing fancy, but you can definitely tell it's a cozy house. The house opens up almost immediately to the staircase to the upper level; there's some standing room and a little rack on the side for shoes. The floor opens up on the left side, where there's a little hallway and two entrances to other rooms: a small one to the dining room and a big entryway to a pretty spacious, well-kept living room. A few feet behind the staircase is the entrance to the kitchen.

"Sorry for barging in unannounced," I apologize. "I was just thinking it would be cool to maybe hang out with you here tonight."

"No, it's totally not a problem! Th-that's really sweet of you! Oh and, uh, sorry, I was giving myself a little facial treatment," she explains, pointing to the brown glob on her cheek. Oh, right, girls and their weird beauty treatments.

I'm making sure to look her in the face, but she crosses her arms over her chest, probably for good measure.

"The stress during the exams must have made me break out a little bit…um, not that you needed to know that! But, um, if you don't mind waiting down here for a couple of minutes I can get changed in a jiffy!" She's so flustered, she hasn't even noticed all the stuff I brought. Before I point it out—I mean, come on, I went through some _shit_ to get this crap, _and _we need to get that ice cream into the freezer—when I hear footsteps coming around from the living room.

"It's Riku! Riku, what are you doing here!?" shouts an energetic little voice. It's none other than Haru.

Girl is the spitting image of her older brother. Seriously, she's his clone. Same blue eyes, stupid grin, straight nose, same brown hair color…honestly, just spike this kid's hair up with a bottle of gel and you probably couldn't tell her and the younger version of Sora apart.

"I came to hang out with you guys tonight," I reply, as I stoop down to her level. Kid looks like she's gonna burst with excitement.

"Oh, hey, do you mind watching her while I go up and look more…um…presentable?" Amaya asks, arms still crossed. She still looks so embarrassed. It's pretty funny.

"Don't worry about it," I reply. I _could_ be cruel and say no, but, contrary to dear Mary Sue's opinion, I actually think I have a shot at some real fun tonight, and something tells me that doing _that_ could potentially ruin it.

"Alright, I'll be right back down!" She runs up the stairs in a flash.

"What's in your hand, Riku? And what's behind your back?!" Haru interrogates. Right, I had the flowers behind my back the whole entire time. "Is anything for me?!"

"Hm? Oh, well, I bought the three of us some ice cream," I reply, as I raise the bag to show her.

"What kind?!" Her being mini-Sora _also_ means she's obnoxiously energetic and curious.

"Sea-salt. Have you had it before?"

"Sora bought it for me before! It's so good! Can I have it now?!" She starts jumping up and down in excitement.

This might be a long night.

"Um, well, why don't we wait for Amaya to come back down? Then the three of us can have it together," I suggest. Her face falls a little. "And, hey, it's pretty hot right now, so I think some of it might have melted. Why don't we put it in the freezer and take it back out when it's nice and frozen again?"

"Oh, okay!" She buys it. Sweet. "Take off your shoes! And then let's go to the kitchen!" She starts running towards the wide entrance behind the stair case.

I kick my shoes off and walk behind her. She's so much smaller than me; even though she's practically sprinting, we reach the kitchen at pretty much the same time.

Their kitchen is pretty big. It almost spans the width, and probably a good third, of the first floor of the house. Sora's mom loves to cook and entertain, though, so it makes sense. There's a big island in the middle with some barstools; Sora and I usually grub there whenever we're hanging out here. And something smells absolutely _delicious._ I notice the sandwich press on the countertop, and I'm pretty sure it's the aroma of grilled cheese in the air.

Haru goes straight to the fridge, and tries to jump to reach the handle to the freezer on top. I can't help but chuckle. It's pretty hilarious.

"Riku! I can't reach it! Can you help me?!" she whines.

"Coming," I reply. I place the flowers on the smooth, grey countertop on the island and walk over to open the freezer.

As I put the ice cream inside, Haru runs over to climb up one of the barstools.

"Ooh, Riku, are these for Amaya?!" she asks, pointing to the aster bouquet.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. You think she's going to like them?" Not that I really know this kid's opinion is reliable or anything, though.

"She likes pink flowers," she states. Well, if only I had known what her favorite flowers looked like before. Whatever, at least there're a couple of pink ones in that bouquet. Still not sure if those are the ones. "Riku, are you going to ask Amaya to marry you?!"

Wait, what?

Heh, I must have not heard her right.

"Sorry, what?" Did this kid…no, she wouldn't have asked me that. That doesn't even make sense.

"Last time I went to the flower store with Sora to buy Kairi flowers, he said that he was going to marry her! So, if you buy flowers for someone that means you want to marry them, right?" she reasons.

Oh, Lord, my best friend's a _total_ sap. But screw _that_ right now. How do I get out of _this_ without crushing this little girl?

"Um, well, I think we're…too _young_ for that," I reply. That's a good, easy way to let her down, right?

"But Sora's _younger_ than you!" she exclaims, like it actually means something.

Do I hit her with reality, or…?

Wait, what's that smell?

"Uh-oh," says Haru, eyes wide as she looks at the source of the stench of burning: the sandwich press. Looks like there's some smoke coming out of it, too.

"Crap," I mutter under my breath, as I go over to unplug it. Sora's burned enough things in this kitchen for me to know to turn on the exhaust vent to prevent the headache-inducing smoke alarm from going off.

"Oh my gosh!" I hear Amaya yell, footsteps rapidly banging down the stairs. I hear her come into the kitchen by the time the exhaust is on. "Darn it! I can't believe I forgot about those!"

I open up the sandwich press, and…well, let's just say, these grilled cheese sandwiches are a little too black and crispy for my taste. Or any person's taste, for that matter. They're burnt to a crisp.

"Darn, and we only have, like, four slice of bread left," Amaya laments. I feel her shoulder brush against mine as she inspects the damage that's been done. I glance over and—

"Damn, you clean up good," I observe. I don't know what she did with those bags under her eyes, but they've disappeared into oblivion. In fact, her skin's pretty much flawless; aside from that little bump where that brown goo was before (probably that zit she was trying to get rid of…although, it's not red and gross or anything, it's the same color as her skin…girls and their magic powers, man), and it gives off this kind of glow. Her hair's down, which I'll admit, I totally prefer. I don't know what it is, but that thick, long, dark hair just _does_ something to her looks. That, combined with the little blue-green top and black-and-white polka dot skirt (or is the whole thing a dress? I don't know shit about girls' clothes), and she is a completely different person from the frazzled girl who opened the door for me. I dig it.

"Aw, thanks!" she replies, beaming as she gets up on her tip-toes to give me a peck on the cheek. Well, there's one thing going totally my way so far tonight. I notice her brow furrow when she pulls away. "Hm…maybe there's something else in the fridge?" She walks over to said kitchen appliance.

"Do we have anything to eat?!" asks Haru, as she runs up to inspect the fridge with her sister.

"Hm…yogurt…some fruits…seems like the only veggies we have are carrots and broccoli…chicken's in here to defrost, but I don't know how to cook meat…" she thinks aloud. "Hm, are you good at cooking, Riku?" She looks up at me, hope gleaming in her eyes.

Isn't that supposed to be _your _job? That knocks you down a couple of pegs down the potential wifey scale.

But, of course, I'd sound like some sort of sexist pig if I said that out loud.

"I can put those premade, precut cookie dough things in the oven," I shrug. Mom taught me when I was in, like, the fourth grade and had to make some for some bake sale.

Amaya just sighs, ignoring my quip.

"So we don't have anything to eat?!" Haru cries.

"I can make you another grilled cheese sandwich, baby," Amaya says gently, as she turns to her give her little sister a reassuring pat on the head. "But, hm…for me and Riku…"

"Heh, you know, not to sound rude or anything, but I would think that you of all people would know how to cook," I point out. She raises up an eyebrow at me. Shit, gotta choose my words carefully here. I can already feel Kairi threatening to castrate me from miles away."N-Not that I expect you to cook for me, or anything. I just…I don't know, you've got that sort of…personality for it, if you know what I mean." You're a girly know-it-all.

"Cooking never really piqued my interest…I mean, I can follow a recipe, but it's not like we could come up with a filling _or _tasty meal with just carrots, broccoli, mangoes, coconuts, and berries, unless you have any brilliant ideas," she shrugs. "There's chicken here, but raw meat kind of grosses me out," she cringes. "Still, you're right, I probably _should_ learn how to really cook. And pay more attention when I do make things here."

"Just how often do you go around burning food?"I smirk as I cock up an eyebrow.

"Amaya burns more food than Sora does!" Haru sniggers. Her sister's face turns bright red.

Damn, I think she just went down a couple more pegs.

"Like I said, cooking never really piqued my interest," Amaya huffs, as she closes the door to the fridge. "When I do it, I tend to forget that I've left something in or on an appliance and…well, anyway, I'm so sorry about this!" she turns to me. "I got so distracted, and I sort of forgot that I had the sandwiches in there."

"It's really not that big of a deal," I shrug. I was planning on becoming rich enough for me to hire a personal chef in the future, anyway.

"No, you came all the way here and I can't even give you a good dinner!" Oh, right, that's what she was talking about. Her face falls. I feel bad, she's taking it real hard. Before I can say anything to attempt to remedy the situation, she starts up again. This time, she's beaming. "Well, no point in sitting here complaining about it. Let's order some takeout, my treat! What kind of food would you like?"

"Let's get pizza!" says Haru, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Baby, let's let Riku decide. He's the guest, after all," Amaya replies, stooping down to her level.

"Riku, can we get pizza?!" she turns to me with these giant puppy-dog eyes. Amaya slaps herself on the forehead.

"I could go for a good ham and pineapple pizza myself," I reply, coolly. It's true; haven't had it in a while. And, I mean, I'd be heartless if I said 'no' to this kid, right? She looks like she's ready to burst at the seams with excitement right now.

"You sure, Riku? It's totally and completely up to you," Amaya interjects, with a tone of concern in her voice.

"Yeah, it's my favorite kind. Oh, and breadsticks would be cool, too," I reply.

"Alright, I'll put in an order. We can each get personal pizzas! Haru, what kind of pizza would _you_ like?"

"Onion and anchovies!" she shouts. And with that, she runs off into the living room.

"Ugh, she really is mini-Sora," Amaya cringes. Yeah, Sora has a knack for liking strange toppings on his pizza, too. "Hm, do you have your phone on you? I think I left mine up in my room."

"Yeah," I reply.

"Mind if I borrow it to make the order?" she asks.

"As long as you don't go through snooping," I wink, as I hand it over to her.

"But I need to make sure you don't have any hidden sexts or pictures of naked girls," she contemplates overdramatically. Pfft, silly woman, I outgrew that when I was, like, seventeen.

Okay, fine, I have some saved on my laptop back at home. But those are only for when I'm desperate, which I can proudly say is not very often.

Okay, fine, so I've had to resort to them more frequently than normal over the course of the past few months. What can I say? College kept me busy from meeting a lot of new people. Anyway, back to the original point. No smut on my phone.

"Oh, you caught me." I put my hands up in surrender. She just rolls her eyes at me while she starts dialing the number, smirk still on her face.

I lean back on the countertop as I watch her put the phone to her ear. Her eyes shift around the room as she places a hand on her hip and taps her foot, while she waits for someone to pick up on the other end. Her eyes meet mine, and a smile creeps up on her lips.

"What are _you_ looking at?" she inquires.

"You just look really cute tonight, that's all," I reply. It _is_ the truth.

She blushes as her smile gets even bigger.

She opens her mouth to say something to me, but it looks like she's been interrupted by someone finally picking up on the other end.

"Oh, hi! I wanted to order some delivery," she chirps.

Oh, hey, I almost forgot. Haru's not here.

Time for a little bit of fun to ensue.

"Yes, I wanted to order three personal pizzas, please! One with pineapples and ham, one with anchovies and—eep!" she squeaks when I lean in and kiss her temple.

Oh, honey, that's just the beginning.

I wrap my arms around her and pull her in closer, while I kiss her face over and over. I make a trail to her lips, and I can feel her breathing getting more rapid the closer I get.

Make-out sesh: start!

…Or so I thought.

I aim to plant my lips to hers, but instead, I'm greeted by the soft palm of her hand.

"Sorry about that!" she apologizes to whoever's on the other line. Oh, right, she's on the phone. She pulls her hand away from me and tries to give me a disapproving look with her eyes, but the smile on her face tells me otherwise. 'Wait,' she mouths.

Oh, I am liking where this is going.

She starts playing with the zipper on one of the pockets of my jacket as she continues. "Ahem, yeah, so one pizza with pineapples and ham, one with anchovies and onions, and another with barbeque chicken, please! And could I also get a side order of breadsticks with each one of those? Awesome! Thirty minutes? Sounds good! Alright, thank you so much! Take care! Bye!" She hangs up the phone.

"Couldn't keep your hands off me, huh?" she smirks, while she puts my phone into the back pocket of my jeans. Her hand lingers there a little longer than it needs to.

"You're one to talk," I retort. I pull her in a little closer, and go in again to continue where I left off. Her hand hasn't left my ass.

I am _loving_ where this is going.

"Amaya! Did you order something for PuPu too?!" Haru screams as I hear her run into the kitchen. My lips barely brush her older sisters' when she pulls away. "Ew, were you guys _kissing_?!" the kid cringes, shielding her plushie's eyes. Amaya giggles as she releases herself from my hold.

Cockblocked. Dammit.

Wait. That doll.

"Isn't that…the doll from the festival?" I ask, turning to Amaya.

"Yep!" she nods. "Apparently, when Sora and Kairi 'disappeared,' they were actually just hiding behind that booth!" God_damn_ I should have known. "Sora told me that he wanted you to win the plushie for me—which, by the way, I'm really glad you didn't, 'cause that would probably have made you seem even more socially awkward than you did at that point—so, when you didn't do that, he felt bad and won it for me himself. Haru seemed to like it a little more than I did, though, so I ended up giving it to her."

Dammit. If only I had warned Sora.

That toy really could mean bad business. Who knows what kind of voodoo magic crap Lulu could have put into it?

What if it ruins the night? And…

"…Wait, _socially awkward_?" I scowl.

"I know, it was a surprise to me, too, since you have a reputation for being so smooth," she winks, playfully punching me on the arm.

"A_maya_!" Haru whines, before I can think of a good come-back. Kid keeps getting in the way, man."What about PuPu?"

"Well, baby, why don't you share your pizza with it—er, her?" Amaya asks Haru.

"Hmm…" Haru stares at the doll intently, like she's communicating telepathically with it. He climbs up onto one of the barstools and sets the doll on the island counter.

"Oh, where did these come from?" Amaya asks, perplexed as she walks over and picks up the aster bouquet.

Oh, right. I almost forgot about those.

"Riku bought them for you!" Haru chirps.

"Aww, this is so sweet!" Amaya beams, turning to me. "They're lovely."

"I hoped you'd like them," I smile back. I watch her examine the bouquet.

"Aster flowers, huh?" she smirks. "Why these?"

"Roses were too expensive," I shrug. She gives me a playful glare. "Well…alright, I'll be honest. I kind of forgot what your favorite flowers were." Her glare deepens. "_But_ I remembered that pretentious 'language of flowers' spiel you gave me, and so I, being the amazing, caring person that I am, sifted through the whole entire store and looked for the ones I thought suited you best."

"Oh? So why, specifically these?" she inquires, cocking up an eyebrow and clearly not taking any offense at any of the shots I've taken at her. That smug smirk is still on her face.

"He wants to _marry _you, duh!" Haru interjects.

What.

Shit.

Dammit.

Shit.

Crap.

Shit.

FU—

"Where did you get a silly idea like that, Haru?" Amaya giggles. I'm walking on thin ice here.

"Apparently, Sora said something about wanting to marry Kairi while he was buying her flowers one time," I shrug, trying to come off as casual as possible.

"What a sap," she scoffs. "I mean, as adorable as they are as a couple, sometimes I want to throw up when I'm around them." This girl _knows._ Amen.

"So if you buy someone flowers—" Haru starts.

"It doesn't mean you want to marry them, silly," Amaya replies, ruffling her little sister's hair. "You usually buy someone a ring when you want to ask them to marry you."

"Oh!" Haru shouts in epiphany.

I seriously just dodged a bullet here.

"So, why did you buy these again?" Amaya asks again, turning to me. Oh, right.

"The card said 'patient' and 'daintiness,'" I start. Making sure to leave out the other atrocious symbolism on the card, of course. "I thought that suited you pretty well, because in my opinion you are quite feminine, and you tend to put up with the annoying yet awesome quips I come up with all the time," I shrug. She scoffs at the last comment, but I know she's kidding around. "And, 'aster' means star, and we talked about stars on one of our dates…"

Great, now _I_ sound like a total sap.

"Aww, that actually _is_ really cute," she beams again. Hey, if that's what she wants to call it."That's really sweet, Riku! Thank you so much!" She walks over and gives me a quick peck on the lips.

"Ewww," Haru cringes once again. Amaya giggles at her.

"Do you want to get me mom's vase from the dining room, baby?" she directs the question at her younger sister.

"Okay!" Haru runs out of the kitchen once again.

"Now that it's just the two of us again…" She gets up on her toes and leans in to kiss me again. It's light, gentle and doesn't last too long—nothing fancy—but something about it takes my breath away.

Her lips are so damn _soft_.

"What's Haru's bed time?" I ask, a little dazed.

"Hm, I usually try to put her down around ten," she chuckles. I glance over at the oven, which has a digital clock on it.

Only 7:45? Dammit.

"I can try to put her to bed a little earlier tonight, though," she winks, as she starts walking over to the sink. Oh, hell _yes._ Looks like Sora isn't the only one _gettin' some_ tonight!

"By the way," Amaya says as she turns to me as she unwraps the flowers, before I can outwardly gloat. "Make a mental note: like I told you _two days ago,_ my favorite flowers are _azaleas_, you dork."

Oh, right. _Azaleas_. Dammit, that name isn't even that hard.

"Hey, at least I got the first letter right," I shrug. She just shakes her head, smile still on her face.

"I'm just playing around with you," she giggles. "These are beautiful, too. And, like you said that day, it really is the thought that counts. I can tell you took some time picking these out. Thank you so, so much again!" I find myself cracking a smile.

…I'll admit. Even though they were kind of expensive…well, it's corny, but seeing her react like this…I think it was worth it.

"Here you go Amaya!" Haru comes busting in through the kitchen entrance holding this small, cylindrical pink vase.

"Thank you!" Amaya takes the vase as Haru reaches her at the sink. She turns the tap on and begins filling the vase up with water.

"They're so pretty, Amaya!" Haru ogles.

"Yeah! Hey, did you know that, even though they look like daisies, aster flowers are actually a type of sunflower?"

"I love sunflowers!" Haru shouts. Of course she does—they're the bright happy flowers that I avoided buying because they reminded me of her older brother. Then again, it's kind of funny. Just like you couldn't tell Sora and Amaya were related at first glance, I guess you wouldn't guess that about these flowers, either.

I see what you did there, universe. Well-played.

"How do you know so much about flowers, anyway?" I inquire. I mean, come on, of all things someone could be interested in…

"I went out with Lumaria for a couple of weeks in high school," she replies, as she glances over at me.

"Wait, really?" I try my best to stay composed, but the thought of those two together is kind of shocking. Believe me, I could care less about Amaya's dating history (unless she's some sort of serial murderer, in which case, bye!), but… "He doesn't really seem like your type."

"Hm, well, I don't really think I have a specific _type_," she responds, while she turns the tap off. "He seemed really nice at the time, and I thought his fascination with flowers was kind of sweet. But it ended up getting kind of annoying, since he was _obsessed._ He took me to flower gardens and rambled on about them, like, every other day. It was interesting at first, but it got to be a little excessive. I learned enough to practically be a pro-florist in the span of, like, two weeks! That, and…well, I was pretty sure he was confused, if you get what I mean."

"Oh, right, didn't he come out a couple months ago?"

"Yep!" she giggles. "So I can definitely say I made the right call on that one."

"Who came out of what?" Haru interjects. Oh, right, almost forgot she was here.

"Your sister's old friend came out of the closet," I reply.

"What were they doing in a closet?" she inquires, clearly confused. Oh, right, five-year-old.

"Playing hide-and-seek!" Amaya chimes, although it sounds more like a suggestion than anything.

"_We_ should play hide-and-seek!" Haru chirps, as she starts jumping up and down.

"Hm, how about after dinner, baby? The pizza should be here soon. Why don't you watch some TV until then?"

"O_kay_." And with that, the little girl runs back to the living room.

"As much as I hate making the TV doing the babysitting…well, about twenty minutes 'til dinner, anyway. It shouldn't be that big of a deal. Hopefully she'll forget about it about it by then, anyway," Amaya thinks aloud.

"Hide-and-seek?" I cock up an eyebrow at her.

"I didn't really know what else to say," she confesses. "I mean…I guess it really isn't a big deal, but I'm pretty bad at explaining that kind of stuff to her."

"You could have just said, 'he's a guy that likes other guys,' or something simple along those lines."

"I guess. I just get super flustered when I try to explain things like that to her, 'cause I'm scared that she'll start asking other questions that I'm not sure I'll be able to handle."

"You freak out way too much," I sigh.

"Well, not everyone's as good at being nonchalant about things as you are," she replies, playfully punching me on the arm.

"Well, hey, better off for me in the long-run. Isn't being perpetually stressed-out bad for your heart or something?" I ask the bio whiz.

"Yeah, it can raise blood pressure. But come _on_, I'm nowhere near that bad!" she pouts.

"So if I start talking about how finals went—"

"I don't wanna hear it!" she huffs. "Be_sides_, it's not like school's my entire life," she mutters, as she starts arranging the flowers in the vase.

"Well, you seemed a little stressed when I came—"

"'Cause I wasn't expecting you!"

"—and you flipped when you burned the grilled cheese—"

"For like a second!"

"—and now you're stressing about your little sister growing up," I snort.

"Those are totally normal things to freak out about!"

"Yes, but Amaya, don't forget, being best friends with your brother means I have _dirt_ on you." I mean, come on, I wasn't going into this without doing a little bit of a background check.

"Like what?" She looks genuinely concerned.

"Alright, exhibit 1: Apparently, before we went to the Hidden Dragon, you nearly had a panic attack because you couldn't figure out what to wear."

"Oh, come on, that's an exaggeration," she scoffs.

"Who tries on _ten_ outfits and has to redo their makeup _three_ _times_ to go out on a date?"

"Shut up, I hadn't been on a date in like, a year! And did I not look good in the end?"

"You were beautiful as always," I reply sarcastically. She just rolls her eyes. "No, seriously, you looked great. But anyway, that's just me getting started. Exhibit 2: the time Sora broke his wrist when he was like, seven. Apparently, you cried more than _he_ did in the hospital."

"I was scared for him!"

"Unless you have some sort of weird sixth sense that lets you feel all your brother's pain or something ridiculous like that, I don't think that's really a normal reaction," I reason. She just pouts. "Speaking of sixth senses, didn't Sora one time make you freak out because he pretended that he could see dead people?"

"Weren't _you_ the one who gave him the idea?" she scowls.

Oh, yeah. I was. It was a super boring summer day when I was around seven, and I was hanging out here with Sora. I was never really close to Amaya, but I was in a mischievous mood. When I saw her sitting in a corner of the living room, minding her own business and caught up in reading some book, I couldn't help but want to ruin her perfect bliss. I convinced Sora to pretend he could see dead people and tell her that there was one following her around everywhere. I didn't think he would play the part so well.

From what I recall, girl couldn't sleep for two weeks straight.

"That's probably why we weren't friends growing up," I hunch over start to cackle. She just stands there, arms crossed, with a disappointed look.

"That also doesn't qualify as over-stressing!" she huffs, lightly bopping my head with her fist. "That was justified paranoia, caused by _you_, you asshole."

"You're _dating_ this asshole now," I smirk.

"I like to think it's 'cause you've changed after twelve years," she pouts.

"And your assessment?"

"You're still kind of a cocky asshole," she shrugs, as she picks up the flower vase. …Can't really argue with that one. "I do like the occasional cheesy side of you, though." She sniffs the asters, smiling at the fragrance. "And I guess our conversations can be pretty interesting, although you get on my nerves sometimes." She sets the vase in the center of the island.

"Part of the charm," I reply. She just shakes her head, smile on her face.

"Can't argue with you there, I guess," she giggles. "I'm really happy getting to actually know you. You're a lot different from the impressions I got from all the girls that would talk about you."

"Oh?"

"Well, Sora always said good things about you, but he says good things about everyone, so I sort of just started believing all the gossip from girls at school. You know, that you'd hook up a lot and couldn't really be tied down, that sort of stuff."

"So what made you change your opinion?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"Just hanging out with you that day, at the Island Festival…we didn't spend that much time together, but even in that short span, you just came off a lot different than I had expected. And, hey, I hadn't been on a date all year! I had a feeling you were kind of into me, and, well, with a little confirmation and help from Kairi—"

"Bitch blew my cover!" I interject.

"Not that there was much cover to blow," she sniggers. I just sigh. That girl's got another thing coming.

Suddenly, there's a loud thud from the living room.

"Oh my gosh!" Amaya cries as she runs over to inspect. I follow behind her.

"Haru, baby, are you okay?" Amaya panics. "Are you hurt? What happened!?"

"Um…" I hear the little girl say. I finally reach the room, to see her perfectly fine. She's holding the remote in her hand; looks like the back of it is missing. Some cartoon is playing on the TV.

"Did you drop the remote on the floor?" I ask, calmly. She nods her head.

"As long as you're okay," Amaya lets out a sigh of relief, as she walks over to find the back part of the remote near the foot of the sofa.

"Like I said about you over-reacting—"

"Oh, don't even start, you!" she glares at me.

"Sorry, Amaya!" Haru apologizes. "I was talking to PuPu and I forgot the remote was in my hands and then it fell and made this really loud 'bang' noise!"

"It's okay, as long as you're fine," Amaya smiles, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Can you watch the show with me? Please?" she pleads.

"Of course, baby, it's my job to spend time with you tonight anyway! Riku, come on!" She sits down on the couch and pats the spot next to her, gesturing at me to come sit down.

Totally not how I planned my Saturday night to go, but I'll roll with it. That's how it's been so far, anyway.

My phone begins to vibrate in my pocket as I walk over to join the two on the couch.

"Looks like I'm getting a call," I tell her, as I reach to pull out my phone.

"Go ahead, we'll be here," she replies, as she turns to play with Haru. I walk back into the kitchen and look to see the words: **Incoming Call: Sora.** Shouldn't he be on his way to get it on with Kairi by now?

"Hello?" I say, as I pick up the call. I'm curious to know what's going on. Not often Sora calls me on dates. He can't be _that_ nervous, right?

"Riku!" Sora replies. He sounds panicked.

"What's up bro? Everything okay?"

"Dude, I'm _pretty sure_ Kairi and I are being followed!"

* * *

**A/N: **In which I attempt a cliffhanger. In which I attempt KH fanfic social commentary. In which my OC's start to take over. In which these chapters just get longer and longer and I just had to cut this off.

Hello, hello! Damn, it's been three weeks since I updated this story, so sorry! Life's kind of catching up to me haha so updates are probably gonna be a little slower on this than I had hoped. That, and I didn't really have a proper outline for this (or the next chapter or two). Yeah, we have two or three chapters left! (Depends on how long I can stretch this date out for before it starts to drag). Hope you're enjoying this! Let me know what you think of Amaya and Riku's relationship, as well as Haru (who will definitely have more screen-time in the next few chapters!) in a **review**!

**Shoutouts** to **ultimatebrat**, **ANP Productions**, **mystic moogle**, and **SoraXKairi7** for your reviews! And thank you to everyone who's faved/followed so far, your feedback really means a lot, thank you so much!


	7. The Thirst

"_Dude, I'm _pretty sure_ Kairi and I are being followed!"_

"Wait, what?" I have a feeling I'm gonna be on the phone for a while.

"Okay, so I'll start from the beginning," Sora starts, still speaking in that hushed tone. Yep, it's gonna be a while. I sit down on one of the barstools at the island in anticipation of the long rant I'm probably gonna be listening to."So after seeing you at the flower shop, I went straight over to Stormfall, the restaurant me and Kairi are at—"

"Damn, you went all out for this," I observe. That restaurant is pretty expensive. Cheapest appetizer is like, 1,200 munny.

"Yeah, I've been saving up for a while. But _listen_," he snaps. "So, we get here and get seated and all that jazz. Got our menus and Kairi started talking about how much she loves oyster, and she thought that it would make for an awesome appetizer—"

"An aphrodisiac? Girl knows what she's doing." I'm pretty impressed.

"Will you just listen?!" he barks. "Anyway, we decide to get the oysters, even though they were kinda pricey. But, hey, Kairi wanted them, so it's okay! I've been saving up, after all."

"You already said that," I point out.

"Well, then stop interrupting!" he exclaims. "Anyway," he goes back to whispering, "while we were waiting for the oysters to come, I noticed this guy sitting a few tables down from us. He looked really familiar, but I couldn't remember where I saw him. That was, until Kairi started ogling the lilies I bought for her. Remember when I was leaving the flower shop and I bumped into that weird red-headed guy? Well, he's the one sitting at the table!"

"Just 'cause you see a person in two places doesn't mean that they're following you," I reassure him. Still, thinking back…something definitely did seem off about that guy.

"Yeah, that's what Kairi said, too. But, after our oysters came and we started eating, we looked over at that table and guess what? There was another guy there! Or, rather, still there. He's huge, bald, and got these creepy looking sunglasses. And, I know you're probably thinking something along the lines of, 'What the heck does that have to do anything?'" Yep, I am. "But, when I pointed him out to Kairi, she flipped! She bumped into baldy on her way, too. Apparently she, like, dropped her bracelet and he picked it up for her or something."

"Okay, so both of you ran into one of the guys sitting at the table. But what does that prove? I mean, it still could be a coincidence," I reason.

"Yeah, but they keep looking at us!"

"Don't you guys keep looking back at them? Maybe they're weirded out by _you_."

"I don't know, man. They're giving me weird vibes."

"Maybe you're just being paranoid. I get it, bro, you're nervous about tonight. Just relax, it'll all be okay."

"No, it's not that at all!" he retorts.

"Well, I guess we'll have to ask Kairi's opinion on that. Where is she, anyway?"

"Kairi actually agrees with me." Oh, damn. If Kairi's on alert, then this actually could be a serious problem. "She's in the bathroom right now."

"Okay, well, the theory is that these guys are following you 'cause Kairi's dad wants to make sure you two aren't up to any funny business, right?" I lean back on the counter, waiting for him to reply. "Sora, I can't _see_ whether you're nodding or not. You gotta answer 'yes' or 'no' over the phone."

"Yes, Riku. I'm pretty sure these are my future father-in-law's henchmen, yes," he hisses. Alright, gotta think quick on my feet…oh, I've got it!

"Hey, go to the bathroom," I suggest.

"Uh..okay, why?" he asks, sounding pretty confused.

"Kairi's in the bathroom, too, right now. Albeit, the girl's bathroom, but If both of you head off in the same direction, it'll look like you guys are up to something. If those guys are really there to keep an eye on you, they might follow you in there."

"And if they do follow me?"

"We figure it out from there," I respond. I'm pretty sure we're not gonna have to worry about anything from here on out, though.

"Alright, just stay on the line with me. If I say…chunky monkey! If I say chunky monkey, that means one or both of them's on my tail, got it?"

"Whatever you say, bro," I roll my eyes. Hopefully, this won't take too long. Then again, I guess this is more entertaining than whatever cartoon I'd be stuck watching in the living room if I were to rejoin Amaya and Haru.

"Hm, I'm like halfway to the bathroom, but it doesn't look like anyone's following me," Sora observes. He's talking at a normal volume now.

"Told you."

"Well, ya never know, they could be stealthy. Maybe they've got, like, a hidden camera or something in the bathroom."

"Even if they do, it's not like they're gonna catch you doing anything. Just don't act suspicious."

"Right. Well, I'm in here, and neither of them is. _But_, maybe they're _waiting_ to come in so that they don't look suspicious! Just…stay on the line with me for a couple of minutes, okay?"

"What the hell am I supposed to do if they do show up?" I'm all the way at his house. Not really much I can do.

"You're good at thinking on your feet! Just give me a suggestion as to what I should do or something."

"The things I do for you, man," I sigh.

"Hey, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have plans for tonight, anyway!"

"Alright, I guess you got a point there."

"You know, it's a good thing you told me to go to the bathroom. I kinda needed to take a leak, anyway."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later then." To be honest, this conversation was shorter than I expected it to be.

"No, wait, stay on the line! You never know!" he panics.

"Dude…that's just weird." It really, _really_ is. "Besides, I'm pretty sure they're not gonna fight you while you got your dong out. That's, like, the cardinal rule when it comes to beating on other guys." Why am I even having this conversation?

"Come on, we talk while one of us is in the bathroom at each other's houses all the time. This isn't any different than that!"

The things I do for my best friend…

"Alright," I sigh, giving in.

"Awesome!" he exclaims cheerily.

I hear something shifting around on the other line. I'm not even gonna imagine what it is. It's actually pretty awkwardly quiet right now—

"Wait, Riku, you said oysters were…aphrodisoics, right?" Sora asks, slow to get all the words out.

"Yeah, _aphrodisiacs._ They're like…sexual performance enhancers. Like I said, pretty smart move on Kairi's part," I explain.

"Oh, I see…" he pauses. "Riku…serious question…"

"…Yeah?" I'm a little concerned, to be honest. He sounds beyond flabbergasted right now.

"How the hell do you pee with a boner?!"

…I…I can't help him out with _everything._

"Yeah, bye—"

"DUDE, I REALLY HAVE TO GO! HOW DO I DO THIS?!" he yells. "Besides, I can't walk out like this!"

Sora really is something else.

"Well, first off, how the _hell_ did you not notice?!" It's not like he's _that_ small. He'd definitely feel it in his pants. I mean, wait. What? Forget I know that. _Forget I know that._

Oh, come on, what else do you expect from two guys that have shared a locker room since…you know what? I'm not even gonna finish that thought. _Forget I know that._

"I mean, I'm pretty high on adrenaline right now, with all the crap that's going on…anyway, that's not the issue! Riku, what do I do?!" he continues to panic.

"I-I don't know…try, like, going into one of the stalls and doing a handstand on the toilet or something," I suggest. The stalls are probably too small for him to lie across the toilet on his stomach and…well, you get the idea.

"Dude,_ public restroom_! I'm not touching those toilets with my hands! Any other ideas?"

"I-I don't know…like, wait for it to…like soften up, and stuff?" What am I doing? What is this? Why am I having this conversation right now?

"How long am I supposed to wait?!"

"How the hell am I supposed to know? I don't know how _your_ dick works!" I bark back. _That_ is a fact. "It'll probably take less time if you, like…I don't know, picture something that turns you off…"

"Like what?!"

Do I really have to spell _everything_ out for this kid?

"I don't know, like…picture your grandparents getting it on or something!"

"What?" I hear Amaya's voice. I look up, and sure enough, she's leaning in the doorway, dumbfounded expression on her face.

"Uh…" Awkward.

"It's not working!" Sora whines over the phone. Instead of replying, I get up off the barstool and walk up to his sister.

"Here, you deal with your brother," I deadpan as I hand her the phone. She raises an eyebrow at me and looks even more bewildered than she did two seconds ago.

"Hello? Sora?" she says. "Chunky monkey? What's that supposed to mean? S-Sora? Hello?!" She pulls the phone away from her ear and takes a look at the screen. "Huh, he hung up…"

Ah, shit.

"Is everything okay, Riku? Sora just hung up on me, and he sounded pretty panicked," Amaya observes, seemingly concerned herself.

Well, he used the code word, which means that one or both of those sketchy guys ended up coming into the bathroom. That, compounded with Sora's little _predicament_, I'd say…

"Yeah, he's totally fine." She raises an eyebrow at me and places her hands on her hips. Looks like I got more explaining to do.

" And 'Imagine your grandparents getting it on?' 'Chunky monkey?'" she repeats, her voice in a hushed tone. I almost forgot, Haru's in the other room. Gotta preserve her innocence and all that crap. I glance over Amaya's shoulder to take a peek at her; looks like she's distracted by the show, but I guess you never know.

"Right, I can explain that," I reply, keeping my voice just as low. Gotta think quick on my feet. I'll start off with the truth, and, hey, if necessary, I can make stuff up on the way. Besides, the best lies are the ones that don't deviate too far from the truth, right? "Well, you know what he and Kairi are up to tonight, right?"

"Oh, right! You know, I can't believe they didn't do it sooner. I know Sora's scared of Kairi's dad finding out and all, but you'd think he'd push for trying to do it in the backseat of the car, or that corner of the library everyone does it in—"

"Oh, that theology section of DI High's library?" Brings back some good memories. Oh, high school, how I miss thee and your simpler times. Kind of.

"Yeah! Although, apparently someone got caught in there this year, so now there's a lot more staff in the library patrolling which makes it pretty much impossible to do it there." Oh, yeah, I heard about that. Selphie and this kid Irvine were a little too loud and…well, you can imagine the rest. "But that's beside the point. Anyway, whenever I'd suggest any of that to him—and I told him about the library before that incident—he'd talk about how he wanted their first time to be special and all. Which, I mean, I totally get but…a _year_? I'd be over that in, like, two months max_._"

"Amen, sister," I say as I hold my hand up. She smirks as she gives me the high-five. And now, to steer this conversation slightly of the point even further."You know, to be honest, I don't even know why the mayor's worried at all about Sora. He's like, one of those disgustingly safe boyfriends from the '50's or something. I'm pretty surprised _Kairi_ hasn't taken more initiative."

"Exactly!" Her voice is back to a normal volume. "So, I take it that he was just really, really nervous?"

"Yep! And a little…too excited, I guess," I shrug. Again, not lying.

"Oh, so was that what the…grandparent suggestion was for?" she cringes.

"Yep." Not lying. "And then 'chunky monkey' is just an inside thing." Again, not lying. "Maybe he hung up since he flipped out when he heard your voice?" Speculation, technically speaking.

"Hm, maybe," she muses. "I'm sure he'll be fine! They really do love each other, after all. But, you should probably check up on him later…I don't want him getting too psyched out."

"Yeah, I got it covered," I nod. Probably, anyway.

"Awesome! Um, anyway, I actually came in here to ask you if you could do a quick favor for me?"

"Whaddaya need?"

"Could you watch Haru for a couple of seconds, while I run up the stairs and get a couple of things?"

Watch a five-year-old watch TV for a few minutes? How hard could that be?

"Yeah, don't worry about it," I reply.

"Thank you! You're the best!" She gives me a quick peck before turning back into the living room and leaving to go up the stairs. I can hear her footsteps as she clambers up. I look through the doorway to see Haru. She's just laying on the brown leather couch, cuddling with that plush doll and watching her cartoon while sucking her thumb.

I gotta admit…that's kind of cute.

I feel like I need to punch a wall right now or something to restore my manhood.

Ahem, anyway, going back to the issues I've got on hand right now. Apparently, judging from Amaya's reactions and Sora's choice of words, he is—or was—in the bathroom, wang out, boner, panicking, and got caught in that state by these supposed henchmen.

So maybe telling Amaya that he was 'fine' was a straight-up lie.

He can handle himself, though, right?

…Yeah, I should probably call to make sure he's okay.

I look back at my phone and go to my recent calls and hit Sora's name, hold it up to my ear and listen to the dial tone. I watch images flash across the television. There's some ad for shit you can spray on things to keep them from leaking. Pay an extra 200 munny and you can get another bottle. You know, I could use some of that stuff. My rowboat started cracking a little on the side. Haven't been able to use it for a while since I've been meaning to get it fixed.

"_Your call has been forwarded to an automated messaging system,_" says the monotone robotic voicemail lady. Sora didn't pick up.

Well, there are two people on that date. Time to dial Kairi's number. I look through my contacts and click on her name, and hold the phone up to my ear once again. Looks like the cartoon's back on. _Oh_, I remember this one. It's about some really obnoxious sponge that looks like cheese that lives under the sea in a pineapple. Television gold.

"Hello?" I hear Kairi's voice on the line.

"Hey, Kairi," I reply. "Yo, everything okay? I was just talking to Sora, and he was…freaking out." I keep it vague, since I don't wanna embarrass the poor kid on his special night with _her_, as much as I want to.

"Yeah, everything's fine!" She sounds pretty calm.

"Sora back from the bathroom?"

"Yep! I don't really know what you're so worried about, but whatever it is, you don't need to! We're doing _fine_!" Now, see the thing with Kairi is…I can never tell if this girl's lying or not. It's especially hard over the phone, when I can't see her face or read her body language. One thing I _do_ know about her, though, is that she is not stupid. She probably knows whatever's up, especially with Sora back—he's not a very difficult person to read. They most likely have it under control, I guess.

"Alright. But if you need me, don't hesitate to call," I respond.

"Yeah, yeah, we're big kids. We got it. Enjoy _your_ night, Riku, and see you soon!" she chimes.

"Yeah, bye." I hang up.

Well, that's that. I'm sure they'll be fine. Probably.

I don't know, I still have a weird feeling about it.

"Riku!" I hear Haru call. She's sitting up, gesturing for me to come over and sit with her on the couch. Well, it's my responsibility to watch her right now, anyway. Wonder what's holding Amaya up.

"'Sup, kid?" I say, as I go over to sit down with her.

"PuPu and I were watching the show, but it's over now," she laments. I look over at the TV screen and, sure enough, the credits are rolling. Suddenly, the screen goes black. I look over to see Haru pressing the 'power' button on the remote. "PuPu said I should talk to you!"

Oh, right. That wretched doll.

"Oh, okay. What does…er, PuPu want to talk about?" When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?

What is Rome, anyway?

"Hm…" She looks the doll straight in the eyes and begins to nod. Freaky shit, I tell you. "She wants you to choose!"

"Um, okay." What does a nineteen-year-old guy talk about with a five-year-old girl who's been disillusioned into thinking that her likely voodooed doll is her friend? Hm…well, this is the best I've got: "How did you and PuPu become such good…friends?"

Cut me some slack, this conversation could have become way stupider.

Haru's eyes light up as she sits up taller on the couch, head turned towards me while she swings her little legs, PuPu in her lap.

"Sora brought PuPu home for Amaya after the Island Festival because she thought she was cute. But, since Amaya was so busy with school, PuPu would get lonely, so I started playing with her! Amaya saw how much we liked each other, so she let me take care of her!"

"Interesting," I admit. I mean, as interesting as a little girl's life probably gets, right?

"PuPu says she likes you, though!" That's…actually really reassuring. "She likes that you bought Amaya flowers. She wants to spend more time with you." I could probably do without _that_ though.

Suddenly, I hear the doorbell ring.

"Pizza!" Haru shouts, as she jumps off the couch. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that.

"I'll get it," I tell her as I get up from the couch. She nods at me and starts waltzing around with PuPu.

As I reach the doorway to the foyer, I hear footsteps rushing down the stairs. I look up to see Amaya coming as I reach for the knob of the front door.

"Coming!" she pants. "Sorry, I lost track of time organizing my sock drawer!"

"…Organizing your _sock drawer_?" I reply incredulously. Well, just saying, that's a little obnoxious.

"Well, yeah. So, I went up to grab my phone and wallet," she holds the two up in each one of her hands to show me, "but I saw that my sock drawer was open, and it looked super messy, and I knew you were keeping an eye on Haru…so, I guess I kind of took advantage of that. Sorry about that!" She looks pretty sincere about the apology but…

"You're a real piece of work, Amaya," I scoff, as I open up the door for the pizza delivery guy. I hear her chuckling behind me.

"Hey guys!" says someone with a familiar energetic voice I open up the door. I take a look and, sure enough, it's Tidus.

"Hey, man," I greet back. "It's been while. I didn't know you worked for Pizza Shack!"

"Yeah, just got the job a couple of days ago for the summer. Gotta make some money before going off to college, y'know?" he beams. "You hanging out with Sora tonight? This is _his_ house, right?"

"Yeah, it's his house, but he ditched me so I'm wasting away in all this estrogen over here," I gesture over to Amaya. She just rolls her eyes at me.

"Oh, yeah, aren't you guys dating now?" he asks. "Selphie said something about that."

"Who _hasn't_ Selphie told?" Seriously. Stella, Tidus, and heck, even my own dad. (He came home a couple weeks back from work and told me he ran into Selphie on the way back; apparently she congratulated him or something. I just ended up getting the sex talk. For the first time from him, might I add. Yep.) Amaya just giggles and nods her head.

"Yeah, we're staying in tonight, babysitting," she explains.

"You're the best, PuPu!" I hear Haru cry from the living room.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot you guys had a little sister! How old is she now?" Tidus asks.

"She's turning six soon!" Amaya beams, like a proud mother. "Starting kindergarten this year!"

"That's awesome! So, I'd totally love to stay and chat with you guys, but I have a few more deliveries to make and I'm running kinda short on time," Tidus states apologetically.

"Don't worry, we totally understand!" Amaya replies.

"Alright, well here's your order: three personal pizzas and sides of breadsticks for each!" He holds out a huge paper bag, which I take from him. The aroma of cheese, sauce, and bread floods my nostrils immediately. Damn, I cannot wait to eat! "That'll be 1,800 munny!"

"Got it right here." Amaya starts opening up her wallet.

Now, as much as I don't really want to spend the money, it's not like I can let _her_ pay.

Dating girls is ridiculously woes of trying to be a gentleman.

"Don't worry, _I_ got it," I assert, as I put the bag down on the hardwood floor and reach for my wallet in the pocket of my jeans.

"That's really sweet, Riku, but I told you, it's on me!" She starts fishing around her wallet for the cash.

"Nope. I got it," I reiterate, as I hastily get the cash out. I quickly count it and begin to hand it over to Tidus. Suddenly, Amaya's hand swats mine out of the way.

"It's on _me_," she affirms, as she retracts her hand and takes the munny that she has resting atop the pockets of the wallet.

"Tidus, take it," I say, as I quickly attempt handing him the munny a second time. "I added an extra 300 for your tip." Bewildered, he begins to reach for it.

"No, wait, Tidus, it's my house, I'm the one paying!" she counters, extending her hand with money as well. "I added an extra _400_." So this is how it's gonna go down, huh? He retracts his own hand, looking even more befuddled than before as he tries to figure out who's side he's gonna take.

"Here, I can add an extra 150 on top of that, for a total of 550."

"I can give you 600!"

"700!"

"750!"

"800!"

"Guys, I really gotta go…" Tidus interjects, weakly.

"You know the Bro Code," I say, as I shove the 2600 munny into his chest. Rule number one: You must always have your bro's back, no exceptions. It's the trump card. I win.

"But—" Amaya starts.

"Gotta say, I have to side with Riku on this one!" Aww, yeah. I look over to see her extremely confused and defeated. "B-Besides, free pizza for you, right Amaya?" he tries to reason.

"I guess," she huffs. Seeing a nervous Tidus, she quickly perks back up. "Alright, thanks, Tidus!"

"No problem, you guys enjoy the rest of your night!" He turns around and starts walking across the porch to leave; I shut the door behind him. And then it hits me.

I just spent a whole week's worth of munny from PaopuBucks on this date.

Tidus knew what he was doing, just standing there. I don't know whether I respect him or want to hit him over the head with a vase next time I see him. A little bit of both, to be honest.

"Riku, what the heck was that all about? I told you, I was gonna pay for it!" she says, slightly raising her voice. She doesn't sound angry, she's more…disappointed.

"I didn't want you paying for it," I shrug, as I bend over to pick up the paper bag.

"As nice as that is of you, it's really not that big of a deal. I work for my own money, too, with my job at CS Maxx," she reasons, calmly. We start walking back towards the entrance to the kitchen as she continues. "I know you're trying to be chivalrous and all, and I really do appreciate that, but it's okay to swallow your pride and let me pay for things sometimes, you know? It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Amaya, it's like I told you, it is not that big of a deal," I sigh, as I enter the kitchen. I feel her shoulder brush the back of my arm as she follows close behind me.

"But it is, considering you ended up paying a ridiculous _800 munny_ in tip for a pizza delivery to try to prove whatever your point was! Seriously, that's probably some sort of record or something."

"Alright, fine, so I got a little competitive or prideful or whatever you wanna call it," I admit, as I set the bag down on the island. "I appreciate you wanting to pay, but seriously, it's my job, let me handle it."

"That's so medieval of you," she scoffs, as she sets her wallet and phone on the countertop and starts removing the cardboard boxes from the bag. It smells _delicious._ "Seriously, let me pay you back!" She reaches for her wallet.

"I'm not gonna take it," I state.

"Come _on_," she whines. "I really wanted to pay for it."

"Now you're just being stubborn," I roll my eyes. Suddenly, it hits me. I've got a solution that'll make both of us happy. "Just think of it as my compensation for all the fun you and I are gonna have later tonight," I wink.

…And I can whole-heartedly say that I instantly regret saying that.

I think I just implied that Amaya's some sort of prostitute. Oops.

Yeah, something about the way her eyes widen at me tell me that she doesn't appreciate that.

"Shit, wait, I didn't mean it like that!" I try to save myself, but something tells me that it's a little too late for that.

"So, how exactly did you mean it?" she asks, seemingly genuinely curious as she slides over a personal pizza box to me. I know she's pissed, but there's not a trace of it in her demeanor. Ah, shit.

"I…crap, alright, pay me back, it's cool," I say, exasperated. The fact that she's not even flinching freaks me out, I admit. And that's what she wanted to do in the beginning, anyway, right? I'll let her have her false sense of victory. After all, I am not letting the one thing keeping me going tonight get away from me.

"Well, you just spent the last ten minutes arguing how it's _your job_ to pay," she shrugs."You've made your point. I get it. I wouldn't want to take that pride away from you."

This is actually infuriating. Alright, just stay cool, man, you'll get out of this.

"I—"

"Pizza!" Haru yells as she runs into the kitchen, PuPu in arms. Okay, so this situation just got leveled up from Proud to Critical. I can do this. I can still get out of this with a five-year-old in the room.

"Yep, sit on the barstool over here, baby," she gestures to the one next to me, and there's one other adjacent to that one, where I'm assuming she's gonna sit. Damn, she can't be that pissed at me, right?

Haru climbs up the chair excitedly, PuPu in her lap. Amaya takes a napkin out of the bag and stuffs it in Haru's shirt like a bib, and then opens up the pizza box in front of her. Oh, the stench of anchovies and onions.

"You know, baby, you've been really good tonight," Amaya beams at her sister.

She has?

"I have?" the kid beams.

"Yeah," Amaya replies, taking her own seat. She begins to open up her own box; the aroma of barbeque chicken begins to waft throughout the air. That, along with Haru's pizza is…well, it's an interesting smell, to say the least. "You know, if you continue to behave, I might push your bedtime to later. Like, maybe when mommy and daddy come home? How does that sound?"

Oh. Oh hell. Oh no she didn't. _Oh no she didn't._

"Yay!" Haru cheers. "That means I get to spend more time with Riku, too! Aren't you excited?! R-Riku, are you okay?!"

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Amaya states. To be honest, I don't really know or _care_ what I look like right now. "Everything okay?" The innocent tone in which she asks the question pisses me off to the max.

Alright, this is a battle of wills.

Let's look at the facts. Alright, I admit, my motives this night haven't been completely innocent. But it's been a couple of month since I've been with a girl. Sure, Amaya and I have been dating for a couple of weeks—longer than I last with most girls—but we've also both been busy, so we haven't been able to have as much _fun _as we could have, if ya catch my drift. I'm a little…thirsty? Yeah, there's a good word. But, if I remember correctly, this girl hasn't seen any action for at least a _year_. I am, more likely than not,_ not_ the thirstiest person in this room. Which means, I have an advantage here.

Now, Amaya's pretty upset at me here. So my comment was kind of out of line. But, come on, isn't she overreacting just a little bit here? Maybe 'cause it's fresh…_but_, if I make her forget about it and remind her of what she's been desperately craving for past few months, then…

I win.

Step one: Remind her of what she could possibly be missing out on.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just getting a little hot in here, that's all," I reply. I get up out of my seat and start slowly taking off my leather jacket, making sure to keep my body tense so that all my muscles stand out. I take a glance over at her and—

Great. She's not even paying attention. She's helping Haru tear apart her pizza slices. Gotta bring this up a notch.

"Amaya, it's _really_ hot in here," I say. I see her look at me, and I immediately grab the bottom of my white T-shirt and pull it up to my face, to 'wipe off sweat.' Look at dem abs, girl. Look. At. Dem. Abs. A couple of seconds later, I let release the shirt and let it fall back into place, and take a look at her again.

"Hmm," she contemplates, tapping her chin in thought. Hard to tell what she's gonna say next. "I hate wasting energy with the air conditioner…I'll get you a nice, cold glass of water! Haru, do you want water, too?"

"Yes, please!" she chirps, as she takes a bite of her pizza. Amaya gets up and walks over to one of the cabinets to pull out some glasses.

Goddammit, that didn't go according to plan. That's okay, I'll think of plenty of other things. Just gotta stay focused on the goal.

"Riku, are you gonna eat your pizza?!" Haru asks. Oh, right, I haven't even opened my box up.

"Yeah," I reply, as I unfold the box. Ah, sweet aroma of pineapples and ham.

"Here you guys go!" I hear Amaya say. I see a couple of glasses full of water plant down in front of me and Haru, resonating a little 'clinking' sound as they hit the countertop. "Hopefully that helps!" She smiles as she walks by me and ruffles up my hair before going back to her chair.

Girl, you do _not_ mess up my hair.

The thing that sucks even more is that there isn't a mirror in sight, so I can't fix whatever damage she's done and—

Wait. Has she caught on to me? Is she just trying to throw me off? Because messing my hair up sure is one way to do it. As much as it kills me, I'm just going to have to let it slide. I am not letting her be victor.

"Your hair actually looks really good like that," Amaya says, giggling. I look over at her. "I dig the bedhead look," she winks.

This girl is dangerous. Oh Lord. Am I supposed to believe her? Do I roll with it? _Do I roll with it?_

"Yeah, your old hair made you look like a girl, Riku!" Haru chimes.

"My old hair was _awesome,_" I retort, banging my fist against the countertop. The two of them are caught up in a fit of giggles.

I've come to the conclusion that I hate the female population. Or, at least, the females in Sora's family. Well, maybe not his mom, she's a nice lady. _She _wouldn't insult my hair. Screw it. Just eat your pizza and keep your dignity, Riku. By the time we're done here, the burn won't be as fresh for either of us, and I can make moves to win this all back in my favor. I got this.

I tear out a slice and take a bite, and instantly my taste buds are transported into a world of bliss. The way the textures and flavors of the savory ham, sweet pineapples, and gooey cheese combine is heavenly. It really doesn't get any better than this. I don't even regret shelling out all that munny for this experience—_this _was definitely worth it.

I take a breadstick and dip it into the hot marinara sauce, relishing the taste of tomatoes, garlic, and bread—always a winning combination. A sip of water to wash it all down, and I repeat the pleasant cycle.

And that's how dinner continues. I savor every single bite of the delicious pizza I paid for. I hear Amaya and Haru bicker and banter every now and then, but I don't really pay them too much attention. I catch little bits of their conversation here and there. Haru does most of the talking. She goes on a lot about how excited she is for the school year to start, but she's nervous or something since it's gonna be her first time going to school and all that jazz. Amaya reassures her that everything's gonna be okay and talks to her about how fun it is and to not be nervous. Pfft, there's a lie if I haven't heard one. At one point, Haru starts talking with her mouth open, and Amaya gently reminds her of how "rude" that is, and wipes her mouth of all the sauce that dribbles down on to her chin. The little girl apologizes and goes on and on about other things five year olds are probably interested—I don't really know. At this point, I've completely zoned out. All my attention's on the wonderful textures and tastes dancing on my tongue. Who needs human interaction when you've got food?

Before I know it, sadly, I reach the last bite.

"Wow, Riku, you can eat a lot!" Haru observes.

"Wow, a whole pizza _and_ all the breadsticks?" Amaya says, admiration in her voice.

"Well, yeah, it was only a personal pizza," I shrug.

"It must have tasted really good!" Haru shouts.

"Heavenly," I state, as I wipe my mouth with a napkin.

"Amaya, I'm full!" Haru whines. I look over to see that she's only eaten one slice of the four of her personal pizza, as well as one breadstick. Weak. I'd offer to eat the rest of it, but…those toppings are a little worrisome, to say the least. Amaya's pizza's about halfway done, two breadsticks left of the original four for her. I could definitely snack on that later.

"Alright, baby, that's okay," Amaya replies, sweetly. "I'll put it in the fridge and you and Sora can finish it later."

"Okay! Can I have ice cream now?!"

"Ice cream? I don't think we have any ice cream," Amaya responds, confused.

"Riku bought us some! It's in the freezer!" She points to said appliance.

"Oh, really? Wow, you spent so much money on us today!" Amaya exclaims, turning to me. Well, way to point out the obvious.

"It's not a big deal," I shrug. It really wouldn't be, if it weren't for this little pickle going on right now.

"Well, Haru, you seem to have plenty of room for dessert," Amaya observes. Haru shrinks a little.

"PuPu really wants ice cream. She's hungry, and she can only eat dessert," she mutters, holding her doll a little more tightly.

"Hm, well let PuPu know that she can only have ice cream if _you_ eat another half a slice of pizza," Amaya replies, skeptically.

"I'd give her the ice cream, honestly," I interject. There might be some tension between me and her, but I'm not gonna let her get on this voodoo'd being's bad side. Amaya gives me a quizzical look. Gotta come up with some sort of excuse. "You said she was behaving, right?"

"Yeah!" Haru yelps. "Please?!"

"Alright, how about this?" Amaya starts. "Either you have your ice cream now and go to bed on time, _or_ you eat a little more of your pizza, have ice cream after that, and get to sleep later?" Damn, sweetening the pot…but is Haru logical enough, or—?

"Hm…well, PuPu says she's _really_ hungry, so…can I have the ice cream now?" she asks, sheepishly. Ha. You forgot, your sister takes after her brother Amaya.

"O-okay," Amaya replies, seemingly caught off-guard. One point for me, there. She closes her and Haru's pizza boxes and goes off to the fridge to put the boxes inside. Once they're in and all set, she opens up the freezer on top to look for the ice cream. "Well, Haru, if you continue to behave as well as you _are_, I might give you the bedtime privilege back, too!" she beams, turning around.

"Yay! Okay! I'll be extra good then!" she exclaims, practically jumping out of her chair with PuPu in her hand as she runs up to her sister.

Oh, I can arrange against that.

First and foremost, though, I have to get somewhat back on Amaya's good side. No point in getting Haru to bed early if Amaya's pissed at me. Even if the sexytimes don't happen, that's not really the biggest issue—it'll just be awkward.

"Here you go, Haru," Amaya bends down to give her an unwrapped bar of the sea salt ice cream.

"Yay!"

"What do you say?"

"Thank you, Riku!" she turns to me, eyes gleaming with joy.

"No problem, kid," I wave it off. She starts ravenously biting into the ice cream.

"Don't eat too fast, or you'll get a brain-freeze, baby," Amaya states, concerned, as she goes back to grab the other two ice creams. Haru pays no heed and goes on at the same pace.

"I have to finish it before it melts!" she reasons, between bites. Amaya just shakes her head as she closes the freezer door, two wrapped ice cream bars in her hand.

"Here you go, Riku," she say, hand with ice cream outstretched as she walks over to me.

"Thanks," I say, standing up to meet her. She hands me the ice cream, and I plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. I notice her blush a little when I pull away. Advantage: me. She quickly shakes her head and pulls out a barstool to sit down and unwrap her ice cream bar. I sit in the one next to her. Haru's still standing next to the fridge, ravenously eating up hers. She's three-quarters of the way done already, and no brain-freeze? Impressive.

I look over at Amaya, who's started biting into her ice cream.

"Wow, this flavor _is_ really good," she says, almost surprised.

"What, don't trust me?" I wink, as I take my own bite. The salty and sweet flavors mingle with the cold, creamy texture of the ice cream. _Damn_, this shit _is_ good. Go me.

"You can certainly be a little questionable at times," she scoffs, as she takes another bite. I notice a little bit of the sticky blue stuff on the corner of her mouth. Oh, I can work with this.

"Gettin' a little messy there," I smirk, as I use my thumb to gently wipe her lip. I linger where her lip separates for a moment longer than I need to, before I draw away and lick the ice cream off my thumb. Her cheeks turn crimson.

I totally have the upper hand here.

"Guess I'm gonna have to be a little more careful, then," she says quietly. Her brow furrows a little, like she's trying to think deeply about something.

"I'm done Amaya!" Haru shouts.

"Okay! Can you throw your ice cream stick away for me, please?" Amaya asks sweetly. Haru does exactly as she's told, as she quickly saunters over to the trash bin in the corner and discards it.

"I'm gonna go dance in the living room with PuPu!" she announces, as she starts skipping in the direction of said area.

"Okay, but be carefully, baby. Don't bump into anything!"

"I won't!" I hear her yell from the living room. I listen to the thumping of her footsteps as she begins 'dancing'. It's an interesting beat to listen to as I continue to chow down on my delicious ice cream, savoring every bite and lick.

I'm about halfway through, when I look over at Amaya.

"Mm…Riku…this tastes _so_ good," she says, with a…sultry tone in her voice? I blink rapidly to make sure what I'm seeing is real.

Her eyes are half-lidded, as she slowly separates her lips to let out her tongue, which meets the base of the ice cream. She gradually, teasingly moves it up in a gentle lick. I feel myself involuntarily gulp.

And the shittiest part? _I can't stop watching._

"Mm…" she moans, as she starts sucking the top of it, making audible slurping sounds as she goes. _Holy shit_, that's _hot._

Goddammit, pull yourself together, Riku! She must have figured out what I was trying to do. Come on, man, gotta take back the advantage!

She turns to look me dead in the eyes, hers still half-lidded and sultry. "So…good…" she whispers.

Pull it together, man!

"I-I'm glad you think so," I say quickly, as I turn my attention back to my own ice cream. J-Just block the images out of your mind, bro. You can do this.

"Riku…" I hear her say softly. And before I can stop myself I look over to see her—

_Oh my God_, _she's slowly putting the whole thing in her mouth_! Little by little, the blue creamy stick of goodness is engulfed by those big, plump lips of hers. _Holy shit, _that stuff is deep! H-how is she not gagging?! She begins to pull it out, just as teasingly and tantalizingly as she put it in. Her mouth makes a popping noise as it leaves the ice cream, and she uses the back of her hand to wipe her lips.

"DAMMIT YOU WIN!"

"Hm?" she smirks.

Ah, shit.

Well, it's already out in the open. Keep whatever dignity you can and wave the white flag, man.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier," I start.

"About what?" she asks, as she puts her elbow on the countertop, chin resting in her hand as she looks at me.

"I…about that comment I made earlier, with me doing all that I did for you as 'compensation' and stuff. It was supposed to be funny but I clearly wasn't thinking about it," I respond, calmly. "I really didn't mean for it to come off that way."

"I see…and?"

"And what?"

"You tell me," she says, as she slowly starts licking the ice cream again.

I close my eyes and think hard—looking at her isn't going to make it exactly possible for me to think straight. Let's see…

"Damn, I don't really know," I say, exasperated. Honestly, nothing comes to mind. I'm pretty sure I've kept all the other potentially douchey comments to myself.

She takes a deep breath and sighs before she begins to speak. "I was really upset that you wouldn't let me pay—not because it wasn't chivalrous or anything like that, it really _was_—but like I said, I work for my money, too, and I have a right to spend it as I see fit. I'm happy you paid for the tab, but I really did intend to do it myself. Just…don't hold me back from being independent, okay?"

"Oh, well, damn, I really didn't know you felt that way," I reply. The way she genuinely worded it makes me feel a little guilty, to be honest. "Again, didn't mean for it to come off that way…Sorry."

A big heartwarming smile creeps back up on her face.

"It's okay, I'm just really glad you understand," she says, as she leans in to kiss my cheek. "A lot of guys don't."

"Really? But you worded what you wanted pretty black-and-white."

"I don't get it, either," she shrugs, as she takes a normal bite of her ice cream.

"So…we good?" She turns towards me, smile still on her face.

"Yeah, we're good! Just don't pull anything else stupid," she warns. "Anyway, Haru's probably going to screw up, so I'll end up putting her to bed around 9:45-ish? If anything, she'll probably be exhausted by then, anyway. After that, we can have some time for ourselves!" She says it so innocently, and I'm actually kind of relieved.

Blinded by, what I'll call from here on out as 'the thirst', I guess I forgot how much I really liked just talking to this girl. I mean, hey, if we go all the way, I sure as hell ain't complaining, but even if we end up just sitting, hanging out and talking, well…I definitely can't complain about that.

"Sounds good," I smile back. I look over at the digital clock atop the oven.

8:45? Another hour 'til then.

I can do this.

* * *

**A/N:** Hello beautiful people who read through that ridiculously long chapter! My compensation for taking so long to update the fic?

Before I go any further about _myself_, **if you guys like Amaya, then head on over to Painted With a Palette's story "Rags to Riches." Guess who makes an appearance? :D Link's in my profile!**

Ahh so yeah, sorry these updates are so slow! Life's been catching up to me on the social end and, more importantly, on the academic ends of things! But, from here on out, I would say we've got two more chapters, plus an epilogue to go, so hopefully when this is all said and done it'll be around the time for New Year's and I can start new stories by then!

Oh, yeah, this chapter's humor was obnoxious. I am totally aware. But that's me. Obnoxious, over-the-top, suggestive humor. Let me know what you guys thought about it! I know I lol'd a couple of times writing this, but then again, that's just me aha. Oh, and be sure to point out any errors because, I'll admit, I probably didn't proofread as thoroughly as I normally do!

**Shoutouts: **Oh my God, 39 reviews?! And dat follow/fav count doe...you guys are awesome! Thank you so much, especially to **Songbird Rebel, SoraxKairi7, ultimatebrat, mysticmoogle, Painted With a Palette, KittyKat1217, **and **ANP Productions** for your reviews, and to everyone that has fav'd and followed so far, it really means so much!


	8. Drowning

_I can do this._

Probably.

"Guys! Are you almost done?!" shouts Haru, as she comes running back into the kitchen. The two of us turn around in our stools to look at her.

"Yep, just give us a few more minutes," Amaya gently replies. "Man, I really wasn't kidding when I said that this stuff tastes good." She slurps at her ice cream.

I tear my eyes away from the sight. The recollection of what transpired a few seconds ago (i.e. Amaya _fellating_ that shit) is still a little too fresh in my mind, and, well…with a five year old present, it's probably a good idea for me to try to dispel the thought as much as possible.

I like cronuts. Yeah, those things are awesome.

"Okay…PuPu and I are getting bored though," she pouts, as she clutches the doll to her chest. I take a close look at the thing.

"_Hurry_…_Come play…"_

…D-Did it…

Did it just _talk _to me?!

"Riku, you okay?" Amaya asks. I feel her hand grasp my shoulder. I turn to look at her, and see the confused expression on her face.

I shrug nonchalantly. "Why wouldn't I be?" I mean, it's not like your sister's doll just _talked_ to me or is voodooed or anything. Pfft, nothing to be concerned about at all. Absolutely, positively nothing.

"Huh, okay. You just looked a little nervous there for sec," she replies, as she goes to take another bite of her ice cream. I instinctively look away and my line of vision immediately finds that stupid blue alien thing.

That thing is totally gonna be the death of me if I don't do what it says, isn't it?

Why me?

"Riku, your ice cream's melting!" Haru points and shouts, as if the apocalypse is gonna happen. I look down and—

_Crap. _There's a huge blue, sticky stain on my dark jeans. These things cost good money, too.

"Oh, better clean that before it dries. Don't want it to stain!" Amaya says, handing me her ice cream as she gets up and walks towards the sink. I watch her turn it on as she tugs a paper towel sheet out of the dispenser and wets it with the running water. She soon shuts off the tap, wrings out the paper towel, and heads back towards me.

"This should hopefully do the trick—it shouldn't have dried yet or anything," she states, as she presses the wet paper towel against…my thigh…

"_It's a small world after all~_" Haru hums to herself, as she twirls around with her possessed doll.

Damned kids.

"Um, maybe it's better if I do it," I gulp, as Amaya presses and rubs it against me.

"Nonsense, I'm almost done," she replies, as she rubs more vigorously. "Besides, your hands are kind of full right now."

Alright, Riku, transport yourself to another time and dimension. Pay no attention to the pretty lady practically massaging a _very_ sensitive area on your body. Shit, um, let your imagination run wild! Let's see, how about: you somehow get to another world, and it's got this huge castle. And there's this…_giant key_ that appears in your hand? Damn that's trippy, but let's roll with it. Yeah. And then this talking mouse shows up out of nowhere, and I guess he has a key, too? And he tells you your keys are gonna help save the world! So you guys venture out and—

"All done!" she chirps, as she looks up and grins at me. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks." I look down at my leg to see the stain completely gone. Awesome.

"No problem! Finish the rest of your ice cream quickly so that that doesn't melt all over the place."

"Yeah, hurry up, guys!" Haru pouts.

"Roger," I reply, as I give Amaya her ice cream back and take a big bit out of mine. Gotta get done with this as quickly as possible because, little does Haru know, well…I basically have to do whatever she says.

"Oh, by the way, did you ever check up on Sora?" Amaya asks, as she takes a bite of her own.

"According to my sources, he's fine," I shrug. I'm still a little iffy about him and Kairi's situation, but I'm sure they'll call me if they need me.

"Your sources being?" She gives me a quizzical look.

"I called Kairi and she said everything was okay," I reply, as I take another big bite of the ice cream. Alright, one more bite and I will have appeased the wishes of the now totally apparent demon doll.

"Oh, alright then," she smiles, as she relishes the final bit of her ice cream.

"Yay! You're finally done Amaya!" Haru shouts as she starts skipping around.

"Yep," she replies, as she walks over to the garbage bin to discard the wrapper and stick. "What do you want to do now?"

"Let's play a game!" Haru suggests, as she hops up and down. Damn, we shouldn't have given her that sugar.

"What kind of game?"

"Hm…Riku's the guest, so let's let him choose!"

"Aww, that's very sweet of you, Haru," Amaya beams, as she turns towards me. "Got anything in mind?"

A game? With a five-year-old? Hmm, let's see…

Wait, if this kid behaves—which she's totally been doing so far—Amaya's gonna have to honor her offer from earlier and let Haru stay up past her bedtime. Which isn't a terrible thing, I've come to decide, but that _doll thing_. That thing needs to go as quickly as possible.

Well, there is a way to get out of this: get this girl so tired, she won't be able to stay up. She seems like the type of kid that would want to sleep with her plush thing, which is kind of disturbing considering the thing is _clearly_ possessed, but hey, it hasn't done her any harm or anything yet, so I'm sure it'll be fine. First thing, gotta estimate how much energy this kid needs to expend.

I look up at her to see her giddily swaying in anticipation for me to make my decision. The look in her eyes—oh, I know that look. That's the same look Sora gets when he's had too much sugar. And Sora on too much sugar? Energy high to the max. Seriously, he trips harder on this shit than he does on alcohol. Not that we drink or anything, because that's against that law and everything _of course_. Anyway, back to the point, last time he got sugar high—Kairi's eighteenth birthday bash—he made a fuss about wanting to ride the horses, rode 'em twice, cannonballed in the pool a couple of times (clothes on), somehow breakdanced to Julia Heartily's "Eyes on Me," climbed the roof, and, well you get the picture. Likely prognosis for Haru here? This girl's also gonna be bouncing off the walls.

But you know what? In about two hours, she'll come crashing down _hard. _That's what happens to Sora. After he put on that huge display, we found him knocked out on Kairi's coffee table.

Problem with this situation is, that's an extra hour than originally planned for. An extra hour with that doll. And one less hour for me and Amaya.

So how do I remedy the situation? Simple. I burn off the energy twice as fast. I mean, she didn't have nearly as much as Sora did that night (three pieces of cake, some ice cream, a bunch of cookies…how the hell is that kid so scrawny?), but the look in her eyes is the exact same that he had. And yes, the look gets more and more intense depending on how sugar high he, or in this case, I'm assuming, she, is. Now, to think of something that'll do that…

She's small, so hopefully the energy will burn off easier.

Oh, I got this.

"How about jumping on the trampoline in the backyard?" I suggest.

"At nearly nine at night? No way, that's dangerous!" Amaya interjects, raising an eyebrow at me. I shrug innocently.

Alright, fine, it's not one of my brightest ideas. Guess I'll have to think of something else. Hm…

"Ooh, but I want to jump on the trampoline!" Haru starts jumping up and down even faster and more excitedly.

"Baby, it's too dark outside for that," Amaya reaffirms, as she points towards the window. "See, you can see the stars."

"But the stars light up the sky, so we can see!" Haru reasons. "_Please_, Amaya!" She starts making these big huge puppy dog eyes at her. Damn, cuteness level over 9,000. There's no way in hell Amaya's gonna be able to say no to that.

"Sorry, love, maybe tomorrow afternoon, when it's even brighter outside."

Damn. Shut _down._ Didn't know she had it in her.

"But—" Haru starts, pouting.

"Ah, remember what I said? You have to behave if you want to stay up later." Girl, why are you _reminding_ this kid?!

Haru looks conflicted, as she starts looking at PuPu. More advice from a voodoo doll? Oh, Lord. I gotta think up something fast.

Oh, wait, I got it!

"How 'bout that dancing video game you guys have? You know, the one where you have a camera and you have to match up with the movements they show you on-screen?" It's perfect. Amaya can't complain about this one.

And besides, I'm awesome at this game.

"You mean Dance Dance Party 3?" Amaya asks. "You're ready to bounce off the wall, huh?" She lightly punches me on the shoulder.

"What can I say? Ice cream has that effect on me," I smirk. She lets out a little chortle."Whaddaya say, Haru?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She's nodding her head so fast, she looks like a headbanger in a mosh pit. Now that would be a sight to see.

"Alright, let's head over to the living room," Amaya declares as she claps her hands. I get out of my chair to discard my ice cream stick before I follow her and Haru into the next room.

"I'm gonna turn the ChocoBoX on!" Haru yells, PuPu clutched close to her chest, as she runs over to the little console stashed in the set of shelves underneath the TV in the entertainment system.

"Hey, Riku, mind helping me move the coffee table so we have space to move around?" Amaya asks me.

"Girl, just tell me where you want it, I got it," I smirk, as I crack my knuckles. That thing barely weighs anything; it's just some wiry metal legs with a glass top.

"Near the kitchen entrance is fine," she replies, as she picks up the little vase that's on it and moves it to a side table in between the sofa and the loveseat. I bend down and get a good grip on the thing as I stand back up to lift it. Pfft, easy shit. It doesn't take long for me to move it into its new designated area. I hear a little beep behind me and turn back around to see the ChocoBoX logo flash across the TV screen.

"Amaya, I can't reach the camera!" Haru pouts, as she tries to reach for the said gadget that's placed on top of the TV.

"I got it," she assures, as she walks over and switches it on. I can see us appear on the television.

Let the game begin.

You'd think my competitive drive would go down, considering I'm up against two girls—one of them being who hasn't even started school yet—but you couldn't be more wrong.

I'm so going to tear them apart with my superior balance, agility, and dexterity.

"Alright, let's stick with the kids' section," Amaya decides, as she moves her hand over to select that option on the screen.

Damn, but Utada Hikaru's my jam. There are some really interesting interpretive dances that go along with her songs. I feel so damned _majestic _dancing to her.

That one wasn't a joke.

Oh well, guess I gotta work with what I have.

"Who's gonna go first?" Amaya asks.

Now, see, there's one awesome thing about this game—multiplayer mode.

If I can make sure Haru is continually dancing for the next, like, 45 minutes, I'll have that girl pooped in no time.

Plus, in multiplayer mode, every individual person is scored separately, so I'll still have that edge. There is no downside.

"Why don't we all go?" I suggest.

"Yeah!" Haru nods. "We can all play together!"

"Hm, my only reservation with that is the fact that I don't want us all bumping around here; it's a pretty cozy room. Even with the coffee table gone, there isn't enough for the three of us to freely move," Amaya reasons.

"Can I play every round then?!" Haru asks, determination fierce in her eyes.

This girl and I are totally on the same page. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Thank you, cosmic force that controls the universe. Thank. You.

"Yeah, that should be fine, right Riku?" Amaya grins.

"Fine by me," I shrug. "Ladies first." I take a seat on the loveseat so I'm out of the camera's way while they play.

"Okay, what song do you want, Haru?"

"'Under the Sea'!" Haru excitedly suggests, as she flops PuPu down on the sofa. As long as that thing's not next to me.

"Okay," Amaya replies, as she cycles through all the song options 'til she finds the right one. I haven't played any of the kiddie songs before, so this should be interesting. I keep my elbow on the armrest and lean my chin into my hand as I watch them go. The screen flashes a 'Ready, Set, Go!' as they get into position to go.

The song starts out with an upbeat calypso tune, and this…crab? Yeah, there's a singing crab in the background music video. That is some trippy shit. Where do people even get these ideas? The crab's just dancing around this cartoon mermaid. Who, I have to admit, is pretty attractive, but that clam bikini top? I thought this was the kids' section. Guess I was missing out.

Oh, the _crab_ is singing the song. Ha, he sounds kind of like Wakka.

The dance, demonstrated by two holographic figures on the screen layered on top of the music video, looks like it has a lot of arm movements. Haru's just flailing hers around like a maniac, and Amaya's not doing much better. They hop around every couple of seconds, only to go back into waving their arms in fluid motions. The dance is pretty repetitive for the most part; it's pretty easy stuff.

"I'm beating you, Amaya!" Haru pants. Amaya just giggles.

Come on, now, that's pretty embarassing.

Wait a sec, did I hear that right?

'_Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me~'_?!

And…the dance move…they legitimately just moved their hands up from their…_crotch area_ and then waved them up in the air.

"Are you sure this is the kids' section?" I ask Amaya uneasily.

"Huh?" She starts flailing around some more. I look at her score. 2500? Haru's got her beat.

That's just sad.

And, well, if it went over her head, then…

"Never mind," I wave her off.

Seriously, though, I never realized how many sneaky, dirty jokes the people that come up with this shit put into these things. Is inserting this stuff what's slowly subconsciously making us a sex-obsessed society?

Wait, damn, that was actually pretty deep. Totally stashing that as an essay subject for that horrific sociology class I have to take next semester.

"Yay, I win!" Haru's screech breaks my train of thought.

"Ah, you beat me!" Amaya concedes in defeat. I look at the screen, and, yep, the score's 8,546 to 5,687.

"Come on, girl, that's pretty sad," I shake my head at Amaya.

"I don't play this game that often," she pouts. "Let's see _you_ do this."

"Pfft, take a seat. I'll show you how it's done," I smirk, as I get off the loveseat and gesture for her to take my place. She huffs and sticks her nose up in the air as she walks by me. Oh, so that's how we're gonna play, huh?

I jab a finger at her waist before she sits down, which makes her squeal. She shoots a playful glare in my direction.

"Oh, I'll get you later for that," she winks. Oh, I like the direction this is going.

"Looking forward to it," I wink back.

"Riku, can we do 'I Just Can't Wait to be King?!'" Haru screeches, interrupting our little moment.

Right, get into focus. You got a game to play here, man.

"Yeah, sounds good to me," I reply. Not like I know any of the songs in this supposed kids' section, anyway. She starts hopping around in anticipation while I scroll through the songs to find it. Like I've said a million times, I don't recognize any of them. There's either a bunch of cartooned animals or inanimate objects with faces on the preview image of each one. Seriously, what is it with these people that make kid stuff and not using people? These poor, innocent kids get confused.

Like Sora? He wanted to be a lion when he grew up. He'd crawl around on all fours about 75% of the time and roar at people, true story. It was when I pointed out that he had the ability to walk on two legs, and that lions didn't, that he snapped out of it. But that excuse wouldn't have worked if you animated the animals as bipedal creatures. Like that one show with the little pig that—

"Riku, you skipped it!" Haru flips. Oops.

"Sorry, going back right now," I reassure her. I come to find it was only 2 songs behind anyway. "Alright, you ready, kid?" I ask, as I get ready to prompt the screen to begin the song.

"Yes!" she howls, as I wave on the screen to begin the song. The 'Ready, Set, Go!' flashes across the screen, and we're off.

This song's even more upbeat than…whatever that last trippy mess of a song was.

Oh, lovely. Whaddaya know? Lions. This one's got a video with a couple of lions running around it. Seriously, what is it with these animators and their vendetta against actual humans?

Alright, the holographic model figures have appeared to show us the dance moves. Damn, there is a lot of stomping around in this one. I swear, this dance is just like the one for that theme song of the worldwide blitzball tournament. What was it, 'This Time for Destiny Islands' or something?

And sure, the stomping around is fun, but these hip movements are kind of…emasculating, to be honest. Screw it, I'm in it to win it. Just focus on your body, man. Control yourself. _Feel_ the music. Use your eyes, watch the projections on the televisions.

Own this bitch!

"You guys are too cute," Amaya giggles from the side.

"Girl, the word you're looking for is _awesome_," I retort, as I do a move that requires me to swing my leg out in a kick. The moves just keep getting more rapid, but it's not too hard to keep up. I'm barely breaking a sweat here. The hardest thing about this is trying not to hit Haru, who's bouncing around like a maniac right now. Note to self: the next song's gotta be less crazy. The longer I dance like this with this kid, the higher the chance of me accidentally punching or kicking her, and that wouldn't be—

Ah, shit.

"Riku, you okay?" Amaya asks, concerned as she hovers over me.

I look up at her, my back planted straight on the ground, and I'm pretty sure there's an expression of utter disdain on my face.

"What's the score?" I ask. I can still hear the music going, although I have no idea how much of the song is left.

"Seriously?" she raises an eyebrow at me. Suddenly, the music stops. I sit myself up to look at the screen.

"Aw, Riku beat me this time," Haru whines. And she's right! 15,678 to 10,205. Hell yeah!

"You'll get me next time," I reply as I ruffle her hair.

Psyche.

"Yeah!" Haru beams. "Let's go again, Amaya!"

"Okay," she replies, as she gives me her hand to help me up off the floor.

"Make me proud," I tell her, as I flick her lightly on the forehead. She just rolls her eyes at me as I retake my position on the loveseat. I take a look at Haru; she's already pretty sweaty and out of breath. Looking at the clock, I see that we've got 35 minutes left 'til target bedtime.

Gotta go hard or go home.

No, seriously. I'm probably leaving if I have to stay in the presence of that doll any longer than I need to.

That probably won't happen though. I'm pretty confident this plan's gonna work.

* * *

"You guys are definitely done," Amaya observes from her perch on the loveseat, amused.

"We can do…one more…" Haru wheezes, as she's collapsed in a heap on the floor. I'm not in a much better state than she is.

Amaya got annoyed 'cause I kept pestering her about losing to her _five year old _sister, so she just gave up and made me play the rest of the rounds. Which, I'll admit, was fun and full of some very interesting music (that one with a caterpillar and the hookah probably made me double-take more than any other song), but a half hour straight of dancing has even me winded.

On the bright side, I totally owned Haru every round.

Even the little victories keep me going.

"_Please_," Haru whines.

"Only if Riku's willing to," Amaya responds, glancing over at me while I recover, my back leaned against the foot of the loveseat, head rested against her leg.

As embarrassing as this is…

"Let's take a little break," I tell her. There's no way.

Hopefully this doesn't mean my plan's gonna backfire. Crap, that would suck.

"Okay," Haru replies, as she rolls over on her back.

"Haru, you're all sweaty and gross," Amaya chuckles. "Why don't we put you in your PJs?"

The universe is totally on my side tonight!

"But I don't wanna go to bed!" Haru pouts.

"You don't have to go to sleep, baby, although it _is_ close to your bedtime," she observes. "Let's give you a quick bath and then I'll put you in fresh PJs so you won't be so stinky." She crinkles her nose in feigned disgust to really drive the message home.

"And then we can come back down?" Haru asks, cautiously.

"Of course!" Amaya nods. Haru pauses for a moment to consider.

"Alright." She gets up slowly and walks straight over to the couch to retrieve PuPu. Damn, I almost forgot about that thing. Hey, it'll be out of my sight for the next however long! There's another little victory. This is awesome.

"Hey," I hear Amaya whisper in my ear. It takes me a moment to notice her bent over in her seat, her lips really close to my cheek.

"What's up?" I whisper back.

"Don't worry, give me 20 minutes, I got the perfect plan to get her to sleep," she replies, winking at me.

Is that…another victory for me?

This is too good to be true.

Come on, my night was pretty rough up until about 45 minutes ago.

Amaya gets up off the seat and walks towards the exit in the direction of the stairs.

"Come on Haru!" she beckons the little girl. Haru hangs her head down low, lethargic, as she follows her older sister out the door. "Be back soon!" The two of them wave at me as they head upstairs.

20 minutes to myself, huh?

This is awesome. No doll, no screaming five year old, no passive aggressive…okay, I like Amaya a lot and everything, but I really could use a little break from the estrogen.

Maybe that's why I never get into relationships.

_Anyway_, what to do, what to do?

I'm actually pretty hungry.

Pizza leftovers? Hell yes!

I get up off the ground and stroll over to the kitchen. Amaya put all the stuff away in the fridge a while ago; it's probably all cold. Which I actually don't mind at all. Cold pizza is pretty great.

I open up the refrigerator to find the little pizza boxes on the bottom shelf, one on top of the other. I take out the first one, only to repulsed by the stench I unleash. Seriously, who thought onions and anchovies was a good idea? That shit stinks. I can only imagine how bad it tastes.

I'd take the breadsticks out of it, but I'm sure the repugnant fumes from the pizza have found their way into their wonderful pores and soiled them.

Oh, well. Box number two should be sufficient enough. It's got Amaya's two slices of barbeque chicken pizza left, along with a couple of breadsticks. I'm sure she won't mind if I take 'em. If anything, I'll get her another. Maybe.

Dating girls is so damn expensive.

I pull out a barstool and once again take a seat at the island. It's a lot different in the kitchen when there's no one in there. All I can hear is the sound of footsteps thumping around from upstairs, as well as the rush of some running water. The atmosphere's kinda…eerie.

It's okay man, the demon doll's upstairs. Away from you. You have nothing to fear.

Maybe pulling out my phone to keep myself distracted will help. Yeah.

I thank the wonderful creators of technology for being able to keep me amused in even the most mundane of times. I salute those people.

I tear out my first bite of pizza as I unlock my phone screen. Damn, this stuff tastes good. The pizza's got a pretty solid texture from being in the fridge, but the savory-sweet flavor is still there. Well, at least I chose a girl with good taste in food.

Even though she can't cook it.

Whatever. Personal chef backup plan, remember?

Anyway, let's see…oh, an email notification. Let's see what that's about. I munch on my pizza while I hit the app button on my screen.

**Trepe, Quistis. Subject: Final exam grade.**

Ah, shit. Well, let's see how I did. I didn't think calculus was too terrible.

_Dear class,_

_I'm contacting you to inform you that your final grades are now up on WhiteBoard. Overall, the class did quite well. The average on the final exam was a B-, and the overall class average was a C+._

C+? No way I did nearly that terrible.

_Your grades are non-negotiable._

_Enjoy your summer._

_-QT_

Stupid WhiteBoard app is such a pain to get open. Slow as hell. Not only that, half the teachers don't even know how to use it. At least Professor Trepe isn't one of those people.

Let's see…it's loading…this pizza tastes hella good…it's still loading…

Here we go!

I scroll down to the bottom.

**Final Exam Grade: 89**

Really? One point away from a solid 90? Really, Trepey?

Whatever, it's only the final exam, not my class grade. Speaking of which…

Awesome! 93. Solid A. Told you I had that class down-pat. Not sure what to think of my other classes, but I haven't heard back from them so I guess it's just best not to dote on it. I'm actually pretty glad most professors haven't given 'em back yet, though, because otherwise this whole night would have been Amaya hyperventilating while breathing into a paper bag.

Girl seriously needs a chill pill.

I continue to surf around on my phone while I eat. I check out all my social media apps, and then head on over to play Paopu Crush. Not the hugest fan of the game, but it's a pretty good time-killer.

Suddenly, my phone starts spazzing out in my hand.

**Incoming Call: Sora.**

Oh, this should be interesting.

I immediately pick it up and hold the phone to my ear, while I take the last bite of my breadstick. The food in this box has officially been demolished.

"'Sup man?" I greet, after I've swallowed my food.

"Hey, Riku, could you do me a huge favor?" Sora pants. Oh, man, he's not calling me during…?

"Dude, pay attention to your woman," I retort. If you're gonna call someone during the act, you're definitely a lost cause.

"Long story, man, that's not even what's going on!" he yells back. "Anyway, I don't have my keys, so could you or Amaya please please unlock the front door for us?"

"Uh, sure? What's this about?" I ask, as I get up to walk over to the front door. I mean, come on, it's a pretty weird request. Why not just knock when they get here?Then again, everything about their night has been kinda strange.

"If _they_ try to come in, it'll be trespassing!" Sora explains.

"What?" Who's 'they'? That explanation just makes everything more confusing.

"Listen, I'll tell you everything later! Bye!" He hangs up.

Well, that's certainly going to be one very interesting story. At this point, I'm just gonna roll with whatever's going on with Sora and Kairi. I'll find out everything eventually, anyway. Wonder how long it's gonna take him to show up.

I unlock the door as per Sora's unusual request, and then head back into the kitchen to clean up my mess. Which really isn't much. I throw the pizza box away in the trash and go back into the living room to flop myself on the couch. The sound of the water's stopped, but I can still hear the two of them walking around upstairs.

Maybe I'll just take a little nap here. Yeah, that sounds good right now. Full stomach, kind of fatigued, nothing to do…what's the better option?

I'm turning into Sora. Is that what spending time with his family does to me?

"Aw, come on, you can't fall asleep on me now," I hear a husky, female voice. Oh, shit, the demons have found me! Of course they'd try to take me in my sleep!

My eyes shoot open as I sit up to see—

"Oh, it's only you," I sigh, as I see Amaya leaning against the doorframe.

"Who else would it be?" she giggles, as she walks over to me.

"I don't even know anymore at this point," I reply, as I scoot over to make some space for her. "You and your family, man."

"Oh? What's that supposed to mean?" she asks, as she takes a seat right next to me.

"You're a very intriguing group of people," I shrug. She just chuckles in response. "So, you got Haru to sleep, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah! Smart plan with you getting her to dance," she beams at me. Oh, she caught on? "I figured it out towards the end, when you were so adamant to keep on going for those last couple of songs, even though I could tell you were tuckering out."

"I wasn't _tired,_" I scoff.

"So you totally weren't taking a nap right now?" she asks, sticking her tongue out at me.

"Well, I was. But only because I finished your pizza, and there was nothing else left for me to do."

"Way to ask to eat it!" She lightly swats my arm.

"I paid for that shit." I pinch her cheek, which makes her grin reappear.

"Alright, I guess you got a point there," she concedes. "Anyway, since you burned most of her energy, all it took was a little warm bath and then a little scalp massage, and boom! She was out."

"Scalp massage?" That's one I don't think I've heard before.

"Well, yeah. It's probably one of the only traits Haru and I share, besides the hair texture," she twirls a strand of her own hair, "Although, we don't really know if it works on Sora since _his _ hair is…well, you know."

"Made up of spikes of steel that belong on a flail? Yeah, I know," I smirk. She lets out a little chuckle. Hey, _now_ my jokes are funny, too!

"But yeah, a good head rub is probably one of the most relaxing things ever, honestly," she contemplates aloud.

Hm…

You know, I could really work with this.

"How? Like this?" I reach over with my hand and use the pads of my fingers to make circular motions around on her scalp.

"Wait, holy crap, that's perfect," she says softly, as she closes her eyes.

Heh. If there's one thing I know about girls, it's how to touch them.

I start to move my hand around to make sure I rub every area of her head. I have to say, it's a good thing her hair is so smooth and soft—it's a comfortable experience for my fingers, too.

"How's that?" I ask in a low voice, as I lean in closer to her cheek. I can smell the delicious aroma of coconuts emanating from her skin, which has definitely has slightly flushed tinge to it now.

"That feels…_really_ good," she gasps, as I start moving my hand towards the base of her neck. "Yeah, right there!" I keep my hand in the area for a few moments as she relishes the feeling.

And now? Time to pick up where we left off, when she was ordering the pizza delivery.

I slowly move in to plant a soft, gentle kiss on her cheek, while my free arm reaches around for her shoulder. I grip it tightly as I pull her in closer to my chest. Her sighing tells me I'm doing a pretty good job so far.

Time to up it a notch.

I move the hand that's been massaging her scalp and replace the one holding her shoulder with it. I use my now free hand to gently stroke her smooth face, as she turns her head to face me, big green eyes half-lidded, plump bottom lip bit in anticipation.

_Damn._

"You know," I start, keeping my voice low as I lean my forehead against hers, "you're really beautiful, Amaya."

It's the first time I've said it to a girl and really, truly meant it.

"Th-Thanks," she replies softly, with a small, shy smile playing on her lips. She turns her torso to fully face me as I give her a little peck on the nose. I feel the palms of her hands slowly snake up from my abs to my chest, as I watch her close her eyes, her lips slightly parting.

I know exactly what she wants.

I run my thumb tenderly over her bottom lip as I close my eyes and tilt my head. I feel her grip on my shirt tighten, the rhythm of her breathing light but rapid.

I can't help but let out a little groan when my lips finally meet hers.

Up until now, all the kisses we've shared have been innocent little pecks. Never have I gotten the chance to hold her so close and tight like this—to really take in the feeling her soft skin, the fruity scent of her hair, or the sweet taste of her lips.

And now that I've started…I don't think I can stop.

I feel her hands slowly leave my chest, as she moves her arms to wrap them around my neck. I use the moment to pull her into my lap with the arm I have wrapped around her, while my other hand gently pulls on her hair. She lets out a breathy moan as the warm sensations overwhelm her, too.

We continue like this for the next few moments, holding on to each other for dear life as we kiss deeply. No crazy tricks, no fancy moves. Just two people, drowning in their tremendous desires for each other.

"R-Riku," she pants, as she pulls her lips away, her face still inches away from mine.

"Hm?" I reply, slightly dazed and admittedly kind of disappointed that that had to come to an end. She leans her forehead against mine once again, as she strokes my cheek with her finger.

"Why don't we," she starts, voice soft and husky, "go up to my room?"

She just.

Asked me to.

Go.

To.

Her.

_Bedroom._

_**SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!**_

I do my best to try to keep a straight face as I reply to her. "Let's go," I whisper. I kiss her cheek one more time, which earns me another gasp from her.

She get off my lap to stand, beaming and blushing, and offers me her hand to help me up. I take it eagerly.

Because, I, Riku, _am getting laid _tonight.

Oh, how I missed this. It's been far, far too long.

"Come on, you," she chuckles as she leads me towards the stairs, her hand still grasping mine.

I don't think I've been so excited in my life.

I don't even know what _kind_ of excited I am right now, to be honest.

And you know what? I don't even _care_, because—

Holy _shit_, what was that?!

"Did you hear that?" Amaya whips around to look at me, her eyebrows quivering in fear.

"Y-Yeah…that was one loud thud," I reply uneasily, as I look towards the source of the noise—upstairs.

We stand there for a moment, unsure how to react.

It's the loud, blood-curdling scream that has us bolting up to Haru's room.

* * *

**A/N:** Ahh hi guys! So sorry for the late update! I had a few exams last week, and then I got caught up with a few other projects (that I'll tell you guys about in a bit!). And I'm a horrible person for giving you a shorter chapter...but I still hope you enjoyed it. Can't believe there's only one left!

Another reason it took me so long was 'cause I wasn't exactly sure what to fill the first half of the chapter with; I hope you enjoyed the scenario I came up with xD I ended up cutting out most of the dancing because I knew it would get pretty repetitive and long-winded, and I wouldn't want to bore you guys with that! And don't worry, I've got plans for SoKai ;)

But that last bit? There's my first steamy make-out scene. It was pretty hard for me to write, since I didn't really know what direction to take. I ended up going the sensual route since I thought that fit best, but definitely let me know what you thought about that! I could always use some pointers!

So, yeah. ONE CHAPTER LEFT GUYS. What happened to Haru? What's going on with SoKai? RiMaya? PUPU? Follow/fav/review if you want to find out!

Quick note: finals are coming up soon for me, so it's gonna take me a while to get that last chapter out :/ But never fear! If you, for some reason, enjoy my writing, check out the two new stories I have published: **Sex Ed** (my collab fic with the lovely **SoraxKairi7**) and **Retail Woes! **Summaries in my profile, go check 'em out and let me know what you think!

Last but not least, **Shoutouts:** Thanks so much **Painted with a Palette, 89niners-best-team-ever, SoraxKairi7, ultimatebrat, relena soulheart, KittyKat1217, **and **mystic moogle** for your reviews, as well as anyone who followed and fav'd! The feedback means a lot to me, thank you so so much!


End file.
